


Tooru and the Satellite

by skiesinlove



Series: Hotline Bling [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Blow Jobs, Don't you worry, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Genderqueer Character, Hand Jobs, Lots of it, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, So many of these characters are nonbinary, Texting, Tooru and Tetsu are thirsty as fuck, Wrong Number AU, there will be smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2018-10-16 16:11:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 95,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10574844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skiesinlove/pseuds/skiesinlove
Summary: [16:05]TooruBelieves: Our cake decorator apparently spelled this woman's name wrong and her husband came in and started screaming at me[16:05]TooruBelieves: WAIT[16:06]TooruBelieves: SHIT WRONG NUMBER SORRY :(:([16:08]Not Iwa-chan: Wait no, come back I'm invested now[16:10]TooruBelieves: Really??? :O[16:11]Not Iwa-chan: Totally, I live for drama[16:12]Not Iwa-chan: So he comes in and screams at you, what happens next?





	1. Stranger Things

**Author's Note:**

> I know the username thing is weird for normal text messaging, but I thought it was a good way to divide the story. I apologize if it’s confusing.  
> Also, the POV is the person whose formatting is normal, the italics is the person they’re texting.  
> On another note, Kuroo is snarky, Oikawa is arrogant, Iwa is an asshole, Kenma is cute.

**Tues 8/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[14:25] **TooruBelieves:** Iwaaaaa-chaaaaannnnn!!!

[14:25] **TooruBelieves:** I got a new phone

[14:26] **TooruBelieves:** I know you missed me so much :D :D

[14:26] **TooruBelieves:** Don't forget to add my new number ;)

[14:29] **TooruBelieves:** Iwaaaaaaaaaa

[14:29] **TooruBelieves:** Chaaaaaaaannnn

[14:35] **TooruBelieves:** Stop ignoring your best friend

[14:38] **TooruBelieves:** Don't you love me :( :( :( :(

[14:45] **TooruBelieves:** MEAN IWA CHAN

_[14:46] **XXX-XXXX-XXXX:** Hey I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong number. _

[14:46] **TooruBelieves:** Oh

[14:46] **TooruBelieves:** Oops

[14:47] **TooruBelieves:** Sorry about that!!!

_[14:52] **XXX-XXXX-XXXX:** Np :) hope you find your friend_

 

**Wed 9/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[16:04] **TooruBelieves:** Omg Iwa-Chan so you'll never guess what happened today at work

[16:05] **TooruBelieves:** Our cake decorator apparently spelled this woman's name wrong and her husband came in and started screaming at me

[16:05] **TooruBelieves:** WAIT

[16:06] **TooruBelieves:** SHIT WRONG NUMBER SORRY :(:(

_[16:08] **Not Iwa-chan:** Wait no, come back I'm invested now_

[16:10] **TooruBelieves:** Really??? :O

_[16:11] **Not Iwa-chan:** Totally, I live for drama_

_[16:12] **Not Iwa-chan:** So he comes in and screams at you, what happens next?_

[16:14] **TooruBelieves:** Omg okay ya so

[16:17] **TooruBelieves:** He starts screaming at me like it’s MY fault and I’m like “look I’m sorry about your cake but like I literally had nothing to do with this”

[16:17] **TooruBelieves:** Idk what his deal was but he was not listening to me AT ALL

_[16:17] **Not Iwa-chan:** wtf_

[16:19] **TooruBelieves:** Yah right??? lol so like I grab my manager and the guy is still screaming and we’re like “buddy you’re frightening the children plz gtfo” and he’s like not before you fix this so we agreed to make him a new one but then he’s like I want a fucking refund and it’s like

[16:19] **TooruBelieves:** LISTEN

[16:20] **TooruBelieves:** BUDDY

[16:20] **TooruBelieves:** WE ARE GIVING YOU A WHOLE FREE CAKE SHUT UP YOU ENTITLED SHITBAG

[16:21] **TooruBelieves:** My manager ended up calming him down but like

[16:21] **TooruBelieves:** What the fuck

_[16:32] **Not Iwa-chan:** That was a wild ride from start to finish_

_[16:33] **Not Iwa-chan:** The joys of retail_

[16:33] **TooruBelieves:** Ikr srsly

[16:34] **TooruBelieves:** Thx for listening lol

_[16:37] **Not Iwa-chan:** Ya for sure you saved me from studying for my chem exam_

[16:38] **TooruBelieves:** Ur welcome :D

[16:40] **TooruBelieves:** But omggggg u should probs study for your exam

_[16:41] **Not Iwa-chan:** Probably lol_

_[16:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** Thanks for the chat_

[16:43] **TooruBelieves:** Np!

 

**Thurs 10/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[17:30] **TooruBelieves:** Lol so idk if this is weird but douchebag husband came back in 2day do u wanna hear about it

_[17:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Um_

_[17:41] **Not Iwa-chan:** Fuck yes???? Always???_

[17:43] **TooruBelieves:** He brought his wife this time

_[17:41] **Not Iwa-chan:** Omg for real?_

[17:45] **TooruBelieves:** Ya and it got REAL ugly REAL quick

_[17:45] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’m so ready_

[17:48] **TooruBelieves:** So they come in and they both look fucking pissed and I was like “omg I’m too gay for this”

[17:50] **TooruBelieves:** Ofc they start screaming at me when I literally can’t do anything

_[17:50] **Not Iwa-chan:** Of course_

_[17:50] **Not Iwa-chan:** What were they screaming??_

[17:51] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my GODDDD

[17:53] **TooruBelieves:** They were just like “you’re such a fucking idiot who spells Yuki like that” and then like “I can’t believe you’d run an establishment with such little regard for your customers” and “you should be way more concerned about losing us we’ve spent so much money here in the past”

[17:53] **TooruBelieves:** Which like...untrue?? Do you have any idea how many million year old women come in and spend twice as much on one order of bread as you did on this stupid cake

[17:55] **TooruBelieves:** So I go grab my manager and he explains AGAIN that we’re literally giving them a cake free of charge so they’re just paying for the one cake like literally every other fucking customer

[17:56] **TooruBelieves:** But no they want a free cake since we fucked up

[17:59] **TooruBelieves:** We tried to give them some free cookies or something but the husband was like “no you ruined my wife’s birthday that’s not good enough” and my manager was like “well you’re ruining my business by scaring away all of my customers so I guess we’re even” and the guy FLIPS SHIT

[18:06] **TooruBelieves:** After like 20 min of straight up screaming we gave them a gift card and they left being like “we’re giving you shit reviews on yelp”

_[18:10] **Not Iwa-chan:** Holy christ_

_[18:10] **Not Iwa-chan:** What a fucking trip_

[18:12] **TooruBelieves:** Omggggg XD

[18:13] **TooruBelieves:** If they come in again I will literally start crying

_[18:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’ll fight them_

_[18:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** Where do you work_

[18:20] **TooruBelieves:** Omg so forward

[18:21] **TooruBelieves:** What if ur just gonna come murder me O_O

_[18:23] **Not Iwa-chan:** Lol what???_

_[18:24] **Not Iwa-chan:** Here I am, ready to risk my safety to defend your honor_

_[18:24] **Not Iwa-chan:** And you accuse me of being a murderer_

[18:27] **TooruBelieves:** Sounds like something a murderer would say XP

_[18:29] **Not Iwa-chan:** I am offended_

_[18:37] **Not Iwa-chan:** But jk u don’t have to tell me sorry if that was too much_

[18:40] **TooruBelieves:** Noooooo ur fine lol

[18:40] **TooruBelieves:** I’m just too beautiful to die this young

_[18:41] **Not Iwa-chan:** My godddd_

[18:41] **TooruBelieves:** What?? I’m a treasure to this earth

_[18:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** Good lord _

_[18:43] **Not Iwa-chan:** Please be more pretentious it’s leaving the perfect impression_

[18:43] **TooruBelieves:** Awwwww I’d love to!!! :D

[18:44] **TooruBelieves:** But I must leave unfortunately

_[18:43] **Not Iwa-chan:** Holy god_

_[18:43] **Not Iwa-chan:** No worries_

_[18:45] **Not Iwa-chan:** Later_

 

**Sat 12/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[13:12] **TooruBelieves:** The Chocolate Cherry

_[13:15] **Not Iwa-chan:** ??????????????_

[13:16] **TooruBelieves:** The bakery I work at

[13:16] **TooruBelieves:** It’s the Chocolate Cherry

_[13:18] **Not Iwa-chan:** Oh_

_[13:18] **Not Iwa-chan:** Thank you!!_

[13:20] **TooruBelieves:** But this is _very secret_ information so I expect something in return ;) ;)

_[13:21] **Not Iwa-chan:** Sexual favors?_

[13:21] **TooruBelieves:** WUT OMG NOOOOOO DX XD

[13:22] **TooruBelieves:** Well

[13:22] **TooruBelieves:** Maybe

[13:22] **TooruBelieves:** But I meant ur name lol

_[13:24] **Not Iwa-chan:** Damn ;)_

_[13:25] **Not Iwa-chan:** But you can call me Kuroo. You?_

[13:26] **TooruBelieves:** Oikawa!!

[13:28] **TooruBelieves:** This means you have to come visit me Kuroo-chan ;P

_[13:36] **Not Iwa-chan:** Kuroo-chan???_

_[13:37] **Not Iwa-chan:** I suddenly remembered that I hate bakeries and also never leave my house_

[13:39] **TooruBelieves:** NOOOOOOO Kuroo-chan!!!! D:

_[13:43] **Not Iwa-chan:** I thought I was a murderer anyway_

_[13:44] **Not Iwa-chan:** How do you know I’m not manipulating you into giving me information so I can come kill you_

[13:46] **TooruBelieves:** Kuroo-chan is so mean :( :( :(

[13:50] **TooruBelieves:** Are you tho? O_o

_[14:02] **Not Iwa-chan:** Who knows_

[14:03] **TooruBelieves:** I’m scared…Please don’t kill me lol

[14:30] **TooruBelieves:** Kuroo-chan?

[14:35] **TooruBelieves:** Kuroo-chaannnnn

[14:42] **TooruBelieves:** :(

 

**Sun 13/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[19:00] **TooruBelieves:** Hey I’m sorry if I was too forward ur obv under no obligation to visit me

_[19:08] **Not Iwa-chan:** You’re fine haha_

[19:11] **TooruBelieves:** Is this because I called u Kuroo-chan???

_[19:14] **Not Iwa-chan:** A little lol_

[19:15] **TooruBelieves:** Sorry XP

_[19:20] **Not Iwa-chan:** It’s all good_

[19:20] **TooruBelieves:** If I drop the –chan will you keep talking to me :O

_[19:22] **Not Iwa-chan:** Sure :)_

[19:23] **TooruBelieves:** Yay!!!

_[19:26] **Not Iwa-chan:** Lollll XD_

_[19:27] **Not Iwa-chan:** But not rn sorry I have to study for my dumb chem exam_

[19:30] **TooruBelieves:** Is this the same one as last time??

_[19:34] **Not Iwa-chan:** Yupppp :P_

[19:35] **TooruBelieves:** So studious!

[19:39] **TooruBelieves:** When’s the exam?

_[19:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** Tomorrow lol I’m going to die_

_[19:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** #endmysuffering_

[19:43] **TooruBelieves:** Wow good luck!

_[19:46] **Not Iwa-chan:** Thanks, I think I’m going to need it :/_

 

**Mon 14/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[08:45] **TooruBelieves:** Good luck on your exam today Kuroo-san!!! :D :D

_[08:52] **Not Iwa-chan:** Oh my god whyyyyy XD_

[08:54] **TooruBelieves:** Whatttt D:

_[08:59] **Not Iwa-chan:** Literally just call me Kuroo don’t be weird about it_

[09:00] **TooruBelieves:** Fine :(

[09:05] **TooruBelieves:** Did you take your test already???

_[09:05] **Not Iwa-chan:** I got 10 min until I meet my maker_

[09:07] **TooruBelieves:** You got this!!!

_[09:10] **Not Iwa-chan:** Thx we’ll see XP_

 

_[10:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** You better call me a wing spiker_

[10:50] **TooruBelieves:**???

_[10:52] **Not Iwa-chan:** Because I just ACED that exam :D_

[10:55] **TooruBelieves:** Omg lol

_[10:56] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’m the master of punnery_

_[10:57] **Not Iwa-chan:** It’s normal to be impressed_

[10:59] **TooruBelieves:** And you accused me of being pretentious XD

_[11:03] **Not Iwa-chan:** :)_

[11:08] **TooruBelieves:** Do you play volleyball???

[11:08] **TooruBelieves:** Just cuz you mentioned wing spikers :p

_[11:10] **Not Iwa-chan:** I did in high school. Not anymore tho_

[11:10] **TooruBelieves:** “Not anymore” are you a uni student then?

_[11:15] **Not Iwa-chan:** V subtle_

[11:15] **TooruBelieves:** Wutttttttt you told me to get to know u better :P

_[11:16] **Not Iwa-chan:** Fair fair I did say that. Yeah I study in Tokyo_

[11:17] **TooruBelieves:** At the university??? Me too!!

[11:18] **TooruBelieves:** Maybe we’ve met and we don’t even know it :O

_[11:20] **Not Iwa-chan:** Maybe haha _

_[11:20] **Not Iwa-chan:** I feel like I’d remember someone as gaudy as you tho_

[11:22] **TooruBelieves:** MEAN OMG

[11:24] **TooruBelieves:** You wound my pride

_[11:29] **Not Iwa-chan:** Oops :P _

_[11:31] **Not Iwa-chan:** Do/did you play volley??_

[11:33] **TooruBelieves:**  I was on the uni team for two years ya

_[11:35] **Not Iwa-chan:** That’s cool :) I bet that’s miles different from high school_

[11:36] **TooruBelieves:** Not too too different! More intense for sure tho. What position did you play??

_[11:37] **Not Iwa-chan:** Middle blocker mostly, but I did some hitting too. You?_

[11:38] **TooruBelieves:** I’m a setter :D

_[11:39] **Not Iwa-chan:** Of course you are_

[11:42] **TooruBelieves:** What’s that supposed to mean????

_[11:44] **Not Iwa-chan:** Nothing XD _

[11:45] **TooruBelieves:** :(:(:(:(

_[11:47] **Not Iwa-chan:** Sorry not sorry_

[11:51] **TooruBelieves:** So mean

[11:53] **TooruBelieves:** It’s your turn btw

_[11:57] **Not Iwa-chan:** My turn??_

[12:01] **TooruBelieves:** Ya! If we’re getting to know each other we gotta take turns asking questions :D

[12:01] **TooruBelieves:** We could make a game out of it!!!

_[12:03] **Not Iwa-chan:** A game omg what are we middle schoolers_

[12:01] **TooruBelieves:** Do you have a better idea? :p

_[12:06] **Not Iwa-chan:** I guess not haha. Could be fun. Let’s see…_

_[12:09] **Not Iwa-chan:** What’s your major?_

[12:10] **TooruBelieves:** Biology XP

_[12:12] **Not Iwa-chan:** That’s cool I suck at bio _

[12:13] **TooruBelieves:** It’s grossssss haha wbu?

_[12:15] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’m chem which is also gross_

_[12:16] **Not Iwa-chan:** Welcome to the science suffer center lol_

[12:18] **TooruBelieves:** TRUE

[12:20] **TooruBelieves:** Shit my prof just saw me texting I gtg :P

[12:20] **TooruBelieves:** To be continued!

_[12:22] **Not Iwa-chan:** Late_

 

**[CatDad]**

_[12:20] **KittenPie:** Are you okay?_

[12:21] **CatDad:** Yeah? Why???

_[12:21] **KittenPie:** Your phone keeps going off._

_[12:21] **KittenPie:**  And I’m not texting you._

[12:21] **CatDad:** You’re texting me now

_[12:22] **KittenPie:** It was going off this morning before you left for your exam as well._

[12:22] **CatDad:** Feeling a little nosy today, aren’t we? Am I not allowed to text people?

_[12:23] **KittenPie:** Of course you are, but you never text in class. Or early in the morning._

[12:25] **CatDad:** I have OTHER friends, Kenma.

_[12:26] **KittenPie:** Who were you texting then?_

[12:28] **CatDad:** Nosy!

_[12:28] **KittenPie:** You’re avoiding the question._

_[12:29] **KittenPie:** Is it Koutarou? I thought his phone was broken._

[12:30] **CatDad:** It isn’t Bo haha

_[12:34] **KittenPie:** Is it someone I hate?_

[12:35] **CatDad:** No it’s not

_[12:37] **KittenPie:** Then why won’t you tell me?_

_[12:39] **KittenPie:** Tetsu._

_[12:42] **KittenPie:** Tetsurou._

_[12:49] **KittenPie:** Kuroo Tetsurou._

_[12:55] **KittenPie:** I can see you reading these._

[12:57] **CatDad:** :) :)

_[13:01] **KittenPie:** Okay, you don’t have to tell me, but I assumed we were close enough for there not to be a need for secrets anymore. :/_

[13:03] **CatDad:** Ouch! Below the belt, Kenma!!

[13:03] **CatDad:** I feel manipulated.

[13:07] **CatDad:** NOW YOU’RE IGNORING ME WHO ARE YOU

[13:08] **CatDad:** It’s literally someone who got the wrong number, KP, it’s fine.

_[13:10] **KittenPie:** Oh._

_[13:11] **KittenPie:** Why didn’t you want to tell me that?_

[13:12] **CatDad:** Because???? I like privacy????

_[13:13] **KittenPie:** You pee with the door open, Tetsu._

[13:14] **CatDad:** KENMA

[13:15] **CatDad:** WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

_[13:17] **KittenPie:** Because I’m genuinely confused why you didn’t want to tell me who you were texting._

[13:18] **CatDad:** Because you’re being nosssyyyyy

_[13:20] **KittenPie:** Wait_

_[13:21] **KittenPie:** Tetsurou_

[13:21] **CatDad:** Yeah??????

_[13:22] **KittenPie:** Is it someone from Tinder or Grindr?_

[13:23] **CatDad:** NO WTF KENMA

_[13:24] **KittenPie:** Well_

_[13:24] **KittenPie:** It would make sense._

[13:26] **CatDad:** How would that make sense I literally keep you updated on my love life 24/7

_[13:27] **KittenPie:** If they were sending you nudes or something??_

_[13:27] **KittenPie:** Are you okay?!_

[13:28] **CatDad:** Yeah totally

[13:28] **CatDad:** I definitely wanted to choke on my fucking water in the middle of lecture

[13:30] **CatDad:** KP no one is sending me nudes.

[13:30] **CatDad:** Unfortunately :(

[13:31] **CatDad:** DON’T GIVE ME THAT LOOK

[13:31] **CatDad:** YOU CAN’T GLARE AT ME YOU ASKED

_[13:32] **KittenPie:** This is why I don’t sit next to you in class_

[13:35] **CatDad:** Kitteeennnnnpiiiieeeeeee

[13:36] **CatDad:** It was someone who legit texted the wrong number

_[13:38] **KittenPie:** They texted you the wrong number…for four hours?_

[13:39] **CatDad:** Nooooo they texted me the wrong number a few days ago

_[13:40] **KittenPie:** So why are you still talking to this person?_

[13:41] **CatDad:** Are you jealous that I’m making new friends ;)

_[13:43] **KittenPie:** Moreso concerned that you’re texting quite enthusiastically with a stranger._

[13:44] **CatDad:** Every friend I have was a stranger at some point

[13:44] **CatDad:** All strangers are really just potential friends

_[13:45] **KittenPie:** That_

_[13:46] **KittenPie:** That is not a safe philosophy, Tetsu._

_[13:47] **KittenPie:** Do you know anything about them?_

[13:48] **CatDad:** Awwwww are you worried about me KP????  <3

[13:48] **CatDad:** STOP GLARING AT ME

_[13:49] **KittenPie:** Stop being an idiot and I won’t have to glare._

[13:53] **CatDad:** I

[13:54] **CatDad:** I got nothing. That was well played.

_[13:55] **KittenPie:** Will you tell me more about this person now?_

[13:56] **CatDad:** I know they’re a university student that works at the Chocolate Cherry and plays for one of the uni volleyball teams

_[13:58] **KittenPie:** Oh, okay._

[13:59] **CatDad:** That’s it???????

_[14:00] **KittenPie:** ……….Yes?_

[14:02] **CatDad:** You hardcore interrogate me for nearly all of lecture and then you just let it go???

_[14:03] **KittenPie:**  I wasn’t interrogating you._

[14:03] **CatDad:** Oh, you so were.

_[14:04] **KittenPie:** Was not._

[14:05] **CatDad:** Was too!!!

_[14:07] **KittenPie:** Where do you want to get lunch?_

[14:08] **CatDad:** Don’t change the subject just because you’re losing!!!!

_[14:09] **KittenPie:** I wasn’t losing._

[14:10] **CatDad:** Were too :D

[14:10] **CatDad:** STOP IT

 

**Tues 15/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[18:02] **Oikawa:** Cats or dogs?_

[18:05] **CatDad:** Eh?

_[18:06] **Oikawa:** I’m bored during work and it’s my turn to ask a question! Cats or dogs?_

[18:10] **CatDad:** Good choice for a question. Very telling

[18:10] **CatDad:** Will you kill me if I say cats?

_[18:11] **Oikawa:** THANK_

_[18:11] **Oikawa:** GOD_

[18:12] **CatDad:** XD

_[18:15] **Oikawa:** I know so many dog people and they’re always so anti-cat and like…why can’t we all just pet our little fuzzies and get along???_

_[18:16] **Oikawa:** Dog ppl r so mean XP_

[18:18] **CatDad:** Totally omg!

[18:19] **CatDad:** Like, most cat people just go about their business loving cats but dog people are ready to murder a cat at any given moment

_[18:20] **Oikawa:** EXACTLY_

_[18:20] **Oikawa:** Crap I gotta go back to work ttyl_

[18:24] **CatDad:** That was fast XD See ya

 

_[21:01] **Oikawa:** SO ANYWAY_

_[21:02] **Oikawa:** DOG PEOPLE_

[21:07] **CatDad:** Yeah?

_[21:08] **Oikawa:** Yep it’s a touchy subject_

_[21:09] **Oikawa:** I’ve had this convo with Iwa-chan like 1000 times and he still insists that cats are evil_

_[21:11] **Oikawa:** Just because they don’t like YOU SPECIFICALLY :( _

[21:13] **CatDad:** Is he a dog person??

_[21:15] **Oikawa:** Omg so much! _

_[21:18] **Oikawa:** And I mean I totally love dogs but cats are  <3 <3 <3_

[21:22] **CatDad:** Yesssss I agree

[21:23] **CatDad:** My turn yeah?

_[21:24] **Oikawa:** Yep! :D_

[21:27] **CatDad:** Who tf is Iwa-chan?? XD

_[21:28] **Oikawa:** He’s my bestest fwiend!!!!  <3_

_[21:28] **Oikawa:** He’s a total shitbag but I love him to death _

[21:30] **CatDad:** I’m sure he’s probably salty about being called Iwa-chan XD

_[21:32] **Oikawa:** Probably lol but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna stop_

[21:39] **CatDad:** Of course lol

[21:39] **CatDad:** Does he go to school in Tokyo?

_[21:39] **Oikawa:** Yeah he’s studying medicine! Wants to be a sports doctor_

[21:41] **CatDad:** That’s p impressive

_[21:42] **Oikawa:** Oh yeah he’s super duper smart_

[21:44] **CatDad:** I mean, you’re studying bio so I’m guessing you’re not a total idiot either

_[21:46] **Oikawa:** Thanks??????_

[21:47] **CatDad:** Welcome XD

_[21:48] **Oikawa:** I guess I am a gem aren’t I :D_

[21:53] **CatDad:** Ignoring that

_[21:54] **Oikawa:** :(_

_[21:59] **Oikawa:** But you’re also studying chem which makes me want 2 die so like ur probs pretty smart too_

[22:02] **CatDad:** Thank you lol I hope so

_[22:03] **Oikawa:** Ur welcome! K next question_

[22:04] **CatDad:** We’re gonna keep this up for a while aren’t we?

_[22:04] **Oikawa:** You said you wanted to get to know me so you’d come visit me!!!_

[22:04] **CatDad:** Yeah??

_[22:05] **Oikawa:** Yeah! Unless you don’t want to???_

[22:07] **CatDad:** No I’d like to

[22:07] **CatDad:** I like making new friends

_[22:07] **Oikawa:** :D_

_[22:08] **Oikawa:** You should consider yourself lucky you know_

[22:10] **CatDad:** Uh…why??

_[22:11] **Oikawa:** I don’t let many people be my friend ;P_

[22:12] **CatDad:** A gift to the world honestly

_[22:16] **Oikawa:** You know_

_[22:16] **Oikawa:** You’re not a nice person_

[22:17] **CatDad:** I’m a delight, you’re just ridiculous

_[22:18] **Oikawa:** Whatever :P_

_[22:19] **Oikawa:** You’re still lucky_

[22:21] **CatDad:** I’ll count my blessings

_[22:28] **Oikawa:** So rude_

[22:30] **CatDad:** You are pretty funny I guess

_[22:31] **Oikawa:** Wow did you actually just give me a compliment??? :O_

[22:35] **CatDad:** I’m not cruel XD

[22:35] **CatDad:** I wouldn’t keep talking to you if I didn’t like you, you know

[22:36] **CatDad:** I don’t like to waste my time

_[22:37] **Oikawa:** Thanks??? I guess??_

[22:39] **CatDad:** Welcome

[22:39] **CatDad:** It’s your turn now

_[22:40] **Oikawa:** Right_

_[22:42] **Oikawa:** Do you have a best friend?_

[22:43] **CatDad:** I do! Their name is Kenma

_[22:44] **Oikawa:** That’s a super pretty name  <3_

_[22:48] **Oikawa:** What are they like?_

[22:49] **CatDad:** Are you allowed to ask 2 questions in a row?

_[22:51] **Oikawa:** You just did! With Iwa-chan_

[22:52] **CatDad:** True true

[22:56] **CatDad:** Kenma is like…the opposite of me haha. They’re not super social, they only have a couple of friends and then their partner. They like to stay home and play video games. But they’re real smart and supportive and like…viciously loyal to the people they care about

[22:57] **CatDad:** They’re the human embodiment of a cat

_[22:59] **Oikawa:** Awww they sound cute  <3 <3_

[23:00] **CatDad:** They are :)

[23:01] **CatDad:** So what about Iwa-chan? What’s he like?

_[23:02] **Oikawa:** Iwa-chan! _

_[23:02] **Oikawa:** He’s a fucking asshole lol_

[23:03] **CatDad:** Christ XD

_[23:08] **Oikawa:** His name is actually Iwaizumi. We’ve been friends basically forever. He’s super grumpy and likes to tease me a lot but he’s also always there for me, you know? The kind of person who shows he cares through pure sarcasm. _

_[23:09] **Oikawa:** He’s like a big grumpy hedgehog_

[23:11] **CatDad:** Opposites attract I guess

_[23:12] **Oikawa:** Yep!_

_[23:13] **Oikawa:** Okay so I get the next question!_

[23:14] **CatDad:** One sec

[23:20] **CatDad:** Sorry Kenma keeps asking who I’m texting XD Even tho they already know they’re being a pill

_[23:21] **Oikawa:** HI KENMA_

_[23:21] **Oikawa:** I’M KUROO’S NEW BFF :D_

[23:22] **CatDad:** They legit shrugged and went back to their PSP XD XD

_[23:22] **Oikawa:** :( Mean :(_

[23:22] **CatDad:** Meh they’re like that with most people

[23:23] **CatDad:** Your turn?

_[23:24] **Oikawa:** Yes!!!_

_[23:25] **Oikawa:** What year are you?_

_[23:26]_ **CatDad _:_** Oh, I’m a third year!

_[23:30] **Oikawa:** Really???Me too!!!_

_[23:30] **Oikawa:** We might have had a class together at some point!!_

[23:31] **CatDad:** I’d probably remember someone with an ego your size

_[23:33] **Oikawa:** I’d probably remember someone as mean to strangers as you :(_

[23:34] **CatDad:** Excuse you I’m nice as fuck

[23:35] **CatDad:** Plus you’re hardly a stranger, I know your name and where you work and we’ve talked almost every day

_[23:36] **Oikawa:** None of that makes you sound super creepy or anything, in case you were worried_

[23:39] **CatDad:** Good to know

[23:40] **CatDad:** Sooooo do you realize how fucking late it is rn

_[23:42] **Oikawa:** It’s literally???? Not even midnight???_

[23:45] **CatDad:** Yeah and I have an 8am

_[23:46] **Oikawa:** Sounds like a you problem_

[23:47] **CatDad:** I gotta go to bed

_[23:49] **Oikawa:** You’re literally the worst college student ever. Are you like 100 years old???_

[23:51] **CatDad:** G’night :)

_[23:52] **Oikawa:** XP_

_[23:57] **Oikawa:** Night_

 

**Wed 16/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[16:26] **KittenPie:** You and your friend were talking late again last night._

[16:27] **CatDad:** Ever the observant one

_[16:28] **KittenPie:** What were you talking about?_

[16:29] **CatDad:** Kenma have I ever told you that you’re super fucking nosy

[16:29] **CatDad:** And not everyone appreciates every detail of their personal life being probed into

 _[16:30] **KittenPie**_ : _If you’re going to get that defensive I’m going to assume it’s sexual._

[16:30] **CatDad:** Whyyyyyy

_[16:30] **KittenPie** : It’s almost always sexual with you_

[16:31] **CatDad:** I take offense to that

_[16:32] **KittenPie** : That doesn’t mean I’m wrong._

[16:32] **CatDad:** :/

[16:33] **CatDad:** Fair

[16:35] **CatDad:** We were just getting to know each other. Chatting about school and whatnot

_[16:37] **KittenPie** : Cool_

_[16:37] **KittenPie** : Do you know what their favorite movie is?_

[16:39] **CatDad:** ……….No????

_[16:40] **KittenPie** : You should ask._

[16:41] **CatDad:** Uh

[16:41] **CatDad:** Why?

_[16:44] **KittenPie** : If you’re getting to know them then you should get to know little things first._

_[16:45] **KittenPie** : People’s favorite things say a lot about them._

[16:47] **CatDad:** You’re taking a very particular interest in this Kenma

_[16:50] **KittenPie** : You seem happy. It’s been a while since you’ve smiled at your phone that much._

[16:51] **CatDad:** Awwwwww Kittenpie!!!! :D

[16:51] **CatDad:** You’re so sweet even though you like to pretend you don’t care

_[16:52] **KittenPie** : Why would I not care?_

_[16:53] **KittenPie** : You’re my best friend. Of course I care._

[16:54] **CatDad:** KENMAAAAA

[16:54] **CatDad:** SO CUTE

[16:54] **CatDad:** I’M GONNA DIE :DDDD

_[16:56] **KittenPie** : Stop being weird_

_[16:58] **KittenPie** : Have you eaten?_

[16:59] **CatDad:** Lol what do you think

_[17:00] **KittenPie** : Let’s go get something._

_[17:01] **KittenPie** : I just got done with lecture._

[17:01] **CatDad:** Sure. Where?

_[17:01] **KittenPie** : Idc_

[17:02] **CatDad:** So helpful

[17:03] **CatDad:** That izakaya place down the street??

_[17:03] **KittenPie** : No_

[17:05] **CatDad:** Why???? You just said you don’t care

_[17:06] **KittenPie** : I don’t feel like dealing with you being drunk_

[17:06] **CatDad:** Who says I’m getting drunk???

_[17:06] **KittenPie** : You always get plastered when we go there_

[17:07] **CatDad:** Well I won’t this time

_[17:07] **KittenPie** : No_

[17:07] **CatDad:** I promissseeeee

_[17:07] **KittenPie** : No._

[17:08] **CatDad:** But their chicken is sooooo gooooddddd

_[17:08] **KittenPie** : …….._

_[17:10] **KittenPie** : Fine_

_[17:11] **KittenPie** : But if you get drunk I’m leaving and calling Shouyou to come get me_

[17:11] **CatDad:** What a way to treat your best friend!!!

[17:12] **CatDad:** I thought you just said you cared about me :(

_[17:12] **KittenPie** :  I do. But you’re an annoying drunk._

[17:13] **CatDad:** You can’t just leave me in a vulnerable state! I am offended

[17:14] **CatDad:** I take back what I said earlier

_[17:15] **KittenPie** :  See you there_

[17:15] **CatDad:** You’re ridiculous

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

_[22:13] **Not Iwa-chan:** What’s your favorite movie?_

[22:16] **TooruBelieves:** That was random lol

_[22:16] **Not Iwa-chan:** People’s favorite things say a lot about them_

[22:17] **TooruBelieves:** That was surprisingly wise?

_[22:18] **Not Iwa-chan:** Advice from a friend XD_

[22:18] **TooruBelieves:** Kenma? :)

_[22:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** :)_

_[22:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** Are you gonna answer?_

[22:20] **TooruBelieves:** Yes!!!

_[22:24] **Not Iwa-chan:**??????????_

[22:25] **TooruBelieves:** I’m thinking don’t rush me XP

_[22:25] **Not Iwa-chan:** I didn’t realize it took someone so long to pick a favorite film XD_

[22:26] **TooruBelieves:** I gotta make sure

_[22:26] **Not Iwa-chan:** Sure of what???_

[22:26] **TooruBelieves:** Sure :)

_[22:27] **Not Iwa-chan:** Wtf does that mean_

_[22:28] **Not Iwa-chan:** Are you drunk_

[22:29] **TooruBelieves:** Nah

[22:30] **TooruBelieves:** Just trying to annoy you :)

_[22:30] **Not Iwa-chan:** Wow thanks_

[22:31] **TooruBelieves:** <3 <3 <3 <3

[22:32] **TooruBelieves:** So I had to ask Iwa-chan

_[22:34] **Not Iwa-chan:** You had to ask another person what your favorite movie was XD_

[22:36] **TooruBelieves:** AND

[22:36] **TooruBelieves:** He said the one I watch the most often is Men in Black

_[22:38] **Not Iwa-chan:** I_

_[22:38] **Not Iwa-chan:** Excuse me?????_

[22:39] **TooruBelieves:** What???? :O

_[22:39] **Not Iwa-chan:** You_

_[22:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Your favorite movie_

_[22:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Is a fucking_

_[22:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Modern day_

_[22:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Cinematic_

[22:40] **TooruBelieves:** MASTERPIECE

_[22:41] **Not Iwa-chan:** DISASTER_

[22:41] **TooruBelieves:** :’(

_[22:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** You get more and more ridiculous the more I talk to you_

[22:43] **TooruBelieves:** Um excuse you

[22:45] **TooruBelieves:** Men in Black is a classic I will not have you defame it

_[22:46] **Not Iwa-chan:** I guess it is p hilarious but it’s like borderline a B movie_

[22:47] **TooruBelieves:** It is funny!!!! Like it doesn’t take itself seriously AT ALL, it exists solely to make fun of every other alien movie out there

_[22:48] **Not Iwa-chan:** Yeah??? What else do you like about it?_

[22:49] **TooruBelieves:** Ahhhhh it’s just so funny and out there and there’s so many nods to other sci-fi shows and movies like it’s a huge ridiculous homage to alien invasion movies

[22:51] **TooruBelieves:** I have a thing for aliens :P

[22:51] **TooruBelieves:** and space

_[22:52] **Not Iwa-chan:** That’s a very convincing argument_

[22:52] **TooruBelieves:** :D :D :D

_[22:53] **Not Iwa-chan:** But it’s still garbage_

[22:53] **TooruBelieves:** D: D: D:

_[22:55] **Not Iwa-chan:** But like…quality garbage_

_[22:55] **Not Iwa-chan:** Recycling_

[22:56] **TooruBelieves:** Omgggggg

[22:56] **TooruBelieves:** Okay well since you’re obviously the pop culture authority what’s your favorite movie?

[22:57] **TooruBelieves:** I’m expecting something high fucking quality after that little snark show

_[22:58] **Not Iwa-chan:** So touchy_

_[22:59] **Not Iwa-chan:** Okay so I tend to really like any kind of movie that really makes you think_

[23:00] **TooruBelieves:** How high-brow intellectual of you Captain Brainiac

_[23:01] **Not Iwa-chan:** BUT_

_[23:01] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’m ngl_

_[23:02] **Not Iwa-chan:** I’m a goddamn sucker for basically any Miyazaki_

_[23:03] **Not Iwa-chan:** Especially Kiki’s Delivery Service_

[23:04] **TooruBelieves:** You

[23:04] **TooruBelieves:** Youuuuuuuu

_[23:05] **Not Iwa-chan:** What????_

[23:05] **TooruBelieves:** Who the fuck are you

_[23:07] **Not Iwa-chan:** What!!!!_

[23:08] **TooruBelieves:** You act all smart and aloof

[23:09] **TooruBelieves:** But your favorite movie is fucking

[23:09] **TooruBelieves:** One of the purest films on the face of the planet

_[23:10] **Not Iwa-chan:** What can I say_

[23:11] **TooruBelieves:** You’re just a giant softie aren’t you Kuroo-chan~~

_[23:12] **Not Iwa-chan:** STOPPPPPPP_

_[23:12] **Not Iwa-chan:** I can’t escape the -chan can I_

[23:14] **TooruBelieves:** No one can if they’re friends with me :)

_[23:15] **Not Iwa-chan:** Finneeeee_

_[23:16] **Not Iwa-chan:** Does that mean we’re friends now?_

[23:17] **TooruBelieves:** I mean

[23:17] **TooruBelieves:** We’ve been talking almost every day for over a week

[23:18] **TooruBelieves:** So I’d say yes

_[23:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** Truuuu_

_[23:19] **Not Iwa-chan:** But_

_[23:20] **Not Iwa-chan:** I still want to keep getting to know you_

_[23:21] **Not Iwa-chan:** Because rn we’re like level 2 friends_

[23:22] **TooruBelieves:** Um excuse you I’d say we’re at least level 3

_[23:24] **Not Iwa-chan:** Level 3 then XD good god_

[23:25] **TooruBelieves:** XP

_[23:27] **Not Iwa-chan:** But I’d like to get to like_

_[23:27] **Not Iwa-chan:**_ _At least level 6 or 7_

_[23:28] **Not Iwa-chan:** Maybe higher_

[23:29] **TooruBelieves:** Awwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!

[23:30] **TooruBelieves:** Well what do I need to do to get to a level 4 friend??? :O

_[23:32] **Not Iwa-chan:** Well there’s still a lot of things I don’t know about you_

_[23:33] **Not Iwa-chan:** Like your favorites and other stuff_

_[23:35] **Not Iwa-chan:** And meeting you at some point of course _

[23:35] **TooruBelieves:** Of course :) :)

[23:36] **TooruBelieves:** There’s stuff I wanna learn about you too!!!

_[23:38] **Not Iwa-chan:** :) :) :)_

_[23:40] **Not Iwa-chan:** Anything specific or keep with the questions?_

[23:41] **TooruBelieves:** Meh

[23:41] **TooruBelieves:** I feel like level 3 friends can probably have a p natural conversation haha

_[23:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** Lol cool_

_[23:42] **Not Iwa-chan:** I gtg to bed tho so tomorrow_

[23:43] **TooruBelieves:** You’re so old XD

_[23:44] **Not Iwa-chan:** :D_

_[23:45] **Not Iwa-chan:** Night Oikawa_

[23:45] **TooruBelieves:** Night Kuroo-chan :)

           

**Thurs 17/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

_[11:57] **Iwa-chan <3:** So_

_[11:57] **Iwa-chan <3:** You know I put up with a lot of your bullshit_

[11:58] **TooruBelieves:** Hello to you too best friend

_[11:58] **Iwa-chan <3:** But if you're staying at my apartment and your phone keeps going off past 10pm when I’m trying to sleep I will confiscate it_

[12:00] **TooruBelieves:** Awww did I disturb your beauty sleep Iwa-chan~~

_[12:02] **Iwa-chan <3:** I had to be at lab at 4am_

_[12:03] **Iwa-chan <3:** I was literally this close to chucking your phone out the window_

[12:04] **TooruBelieves:** I can’t make any promises :P

_[12:04] **Iwa-chan <3:** I’m not joking_

_[12:05] **Iwa-chan <3:** I almost jabbed a needle full of someone else’s blood into my arm_

[12:06] **TooruBelieves:** Ewwwwww

_[12:07] **Iwa-chan <3:** Yeah well_

_[12:09] **Iwa-chan <3:** Put your phone on silent or something if you need to communicate past 10_

[12:10] **TooruBelieves:** You’re such a bossy roommate, how do Mattsun and Makki put up with you?

_[12:12] **Iwa-chan <3:** And you’re basically a toddler_

[12:13] **TooruBelieves:** Why are you so mean to me

[12:16] **TooruBelieves:** I’m surrounded by mean people :(

_[12:17] **Iwa-chan <3:** It’s because you have a shitty personality_

[12:18] **TooruBelieves:** I am a precious jewel

[12:18] **TooruBelieves:** It’s not my fault if people don’t appreciate my beautiful sparkle

_[12:20] **Iwa-chan <3:** Why_

_[12:21] **Iwa-chan <3:** Why do you force me to read these words with my eyes_

[12:22] **TooruBelieves:** I looovvveeee youuuuu  <3

_[12:25] **Iwa-chan <3:** Who were you texting anyway?_

[12:26] **TooruBelieves:** Nosy Iwa-chan :P

[12:27] **TooruBelieves:** Boss me around and then pry into my personal life

_[12:29] **Iwa-chan <3:** Fine you don’t have to tell me_

_[12:30] **Iwa-chan <3:** I’ve already bet Mattsun 500 yen it’s a Tinder hookup_

[12:31] **TooruBelieves:** IWA-CHAN

[12:31] **TooruBelieves:** LEWD

_[12:32] **Iwa-chan <3:** So that’s a yes_

[12:33] **TooruBelieves:** Nooooooo it’s not a Tinder hookup. Unfortunately :(

_[12:34] **Iwa-chan <3:** I don’t believe you_

[12:36] **TooruBelieves:** It really isn’t!!!

[12:37] **TooruBelieves:** You would have heard if it was anyway~~ ;D

_[12:38] **Iwa-chan <3:** Bye_

[12:40] **TooruBelieves:** IWA-CHAN DON’T LEAVE ME

_[12:41] **Iwa-chan <3:** Byeeeee_

[12:42] **TooruBelieves:** :(

[12:45] **TooruBelieves:** Iwa-chan :(

[12:51] **TooruBelieves:** Why won’t you love me

[12:57] **TooruBelieves:** FINE

[12:58] **TooruBelieves:** I mixed up your number when I got my new phone and texted a rando

_[13:00] **Iwa-chan <3:** You_

_[13:00] **Iwa-chan <3:** I knew you were an idiot but this is extra_

[13:01] **TooruBelieves:** What??? :O

_[13:03] **Iwa-chan <3:** You’re texting a rando until midnight??? Are you stupid???_

[13:04] **TooruBelieves:** Jealousy is an ugly color on you Iwa-chan~

_[13:05] **Iwa-chan <3:** Fuck off_

_[13:06] **Iwa-chan <3:** Do you actually know anything about this person??_

[13:06] **TooruBelieves:** Yes I’m not a child

_[13:08] **Iwa-chan <3:** I’m not convinced._

_[13:09] **Iwa-chan <3:** What do you know about them?_

[13:13] **TooruBelieves:** I know their name is Kuroo and they’re a third year chem student at Tokyo Uni

_[13:14] **Iwa-chan <3:** How do you know they aren’t lying to you or something?_

[13:16] **TooruBelieves:** So protective  <3

_[13:17] **Iwa-chan <3:** I don’t want to deal with all your fangirls after your murder_

_[13:18] **Iwa-chan <3:** Seriously though how do you actually know they are who they say they are. Have they sent you a picture? Given you literally any evidence?_

[13:19] **TooruBelieves:** See, this is why you don’t have many friends

[13:19] **TooruBelieves:** You gotta learn to trust people Iwa-chan

_[13:21] **Iwa-chan <3:** Fine. Keep talking to a stranger and get chopped up into a million pieces. See if I care._

[13:22] **TooruBelieves:** Awwww you’re so sweet, worrying about me :)

_[13:25] **Iwa-chan <3:** I’m serious this is dangerous and stupid even for you Shittykawa_

[13:26] **TooruBelieves:** If I get a fucking picture will you stop trying to be my mother?

_[13:28] **Iwa-chan <3:** Possibly._

[13:29] **TooruBelieves:** Well then

[13:29] **TooruBelieves:** I’ll try to get a nude just for you ;)

_[13:30] **Iwa-chan <3:** Bye_

[13:30] **TooruBelieves:** Iwa-channnn!!!! :(

[13:35] **TooruBelieves:** :( :( :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	2. Black Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [22:26] **CatDad** : OH MY GOD  
> [22:26] **CatDad** : KENMA I’M REALLY GAY  
> [22:26] **CatDad** : LIKE REALLY REALLY GAY  
>  _[22:27] **KittenPie** : I thought you were bi…?_  
>  _[22:28] **KittenPie** : Also aren’t they nonbinary so it’s not gay exactly_  
> [22:28] **CatDad** : KITTENPIE FOCUS YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically everyone in this chapter is a disaster and I’m sorry.
> 
> Also _Black Mirror_ is a reference to a blank phone screen I guess so I thought it fit :)
> 
> Edit: I just realized this all takes place on Kuroo's birthday but I didn't realize that. Oops. Sorry y'all :/

**Thurs 17/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[16:27] **Noodle-kawa:** Soooooo_

[16:29] **CatDad:**????? Yes????

_[16:30] **Noodle-kawa:** Iwa-chan is convinced you’re out to murder me_

_[16:30] **Noodle-kawa:** He needs photographic evidence that you aren’t a serial killer  <3_

[16:31] **CatDad:** Is that your way of asking for a picture of me XD

_[16:32] **Noodle-kawa:** /Iwa-chan/ wants it not me_

[16:34] **CatDad:** How will that help haha does he know what a serial killer looks like?????

_[16:34] **Noodle-kawa:** Idk he’s weird_

_[16:35] **Noodle-kawa:** Also I’m kind of curious too tbh_

[16:35] **CatDad:** Yeah?

_[16:36] **Noodle-kawa:** Yeah! Put a face on my new friend so you aren’t just a name on a screen_

[16:38] **CatDad:** Okay that’s fine haha

[16:39] **CatDad:** But I expect one back, kay?

_[16:42] **Noodle-kawa:** Deal :) :)_

[16:45] **CatDad:** And don’t judge

[16:45] **CatDad:** My hair is a fucking catastrophe

_[16:46] **Noodle-kawa:** Awww is Kuroo-chan vain about Kuroo-chan’s hair?_

[16:47] **CatDad:** He is, a little

[16:48] **CatDad:** Oikawa has to be self-conscious about something of theirs lol

_[16:51] **Noodle-kawa:** Nah :)_

[16:51] **CatDad:** Then they’re a fucking liar XD

_[16:52] **Noodle-kawa:** Oikawa is beautiful :) They’re an aesthetic miracle_

[16:53] **CatDad:** I don’t believe you

[16:53] **CatDad:** Everyone is insecure about something

_[16:54] **Noodle-kawa:** I’m gorgeous :)_

[16:55] **CatDad:** Whatever

[16:56] **CatDad:** Maybe I’ll figure it out by the time I reach level 5 or 6

_[16:57] **Noodle-kawa:** ;) ;P_

[17:00] **CatDad:** Here’s your picture you noodle

[17:01] **CatDad:** [img]

 

_[17:01] **Noodle-kawa:** Noodle???_

_[17:01] **Noodle-kawa:** K let me download it_

[17:02] **CatDad:** Ya you’re an egotistical noodle

[17:15] **CatDad:** Did you get it?

[17:41] **CatDad:** Oikawa?

[18:05] **CatDad:** Did Iwa-chan decide I’m a serial killer and make you stop talking to me?

[18:31] **CatDad:** Did your phone die???

[18:53] **CatDad:** I’m getting nervous now O_O

 

[19:07] **CatDad:** Oh my god Kenma I’m freaking out

_[19:08] **KittenPie:**?_

[19:09] **CatDad:** I sent Oikawa a picture of me and they haven’t answered yet

_[19:09] **KittenPie:** So?_

[19:10] **CatDad:** That was 2 fucking hours ago

[19:12] **CatDad:** They’ve never taken this long to answer me before

_[19:14] **Kittenie:** Maybe they’re busy_

_[19:14] **KittenPie:** Or their phone died_

[19:15] **CatDad:** What if they’ve decided I’m ugly AF and don’t want anything to do with me

_[19:17] **KittenPie:** You aren’t ugly_

[19:17] **CatDad:** Okay but what if /they/ think I am

_[19:18] **KittenPie:** Then they’re superficial and don’t deserve to be your friend._

[19:19] **CatDad:** Kenmaaaaaaaaaa

_[19:19] **KittenPie:** What?_

[19:21] **CatDad:** That isn’t helpful I’m seriously freaking out

_[19:21] **KittenPie:** Why?_

_[19:22] **KittenPie:** If they stop talking to you over a selfie you shouldn’t be friends_

[17:23] **CatDad:** But Kenmaaaaaaa

_[19:24] **KittenPie:** What, Tetsurou?_

[19:35] **CatDad:** I don’t want them to stop talking to me :(

_[19:36] **KittenPie:** Why?_

[19:37] **CatDad:** I like talking to them??? Idk they’re funny and fun to talk to they make me smile

_[19:38] **KittenPie:** I wouldn’t worry._

[19:39] **CatDad:** Wow. Thanks.

[19:39] **CatDad:** Now all my anxiety is gone.

[19:39] **CatDad:** Poof.

[19:40] **CatDad:** Like magic.

[19:41] **CatDad:** :(

_[19:42] **KittenPie:** I’m sorry._

_[19:43] **KittenPie:** You have plenty of friends, though._

[19:45] **CatDad:** This isn’t about having a certain number of friends, KP

[19:45] **CatDad:** They’re someone I enjoy. It isn’t like I’m adding them to a collection

[19:47] **CatDad:** I genuinely like them as a person.

_[19:48] **KittenPie:** But they aren’t leaving you without good company._

_[19:49] **KittenPie:** You have me. You have Bokuto._

[19:50] **CatDad:** I guessss

[19:51] **CatDad:** I do love you all but still

[19:52] **CatDad:** I feel like we just…click. And I like that.

_[19:55] **KittenPie:** There’s nothing wrong with being upset over losing a connection._

_[19:56] **KittenPie:** If they stop talking to you because of a picture though then they don’t deserve you._

_[19:58] **KittenPie:** You’re worth more than that._

[19:59] **CatDad:** That actually means a lot :) Thanks KP <3

_[20:00] **KittenPie:** Sure._

_[20:04] **KittenPie:** Come over for dinner._

[20:05] **CatDad:** Who cooked?

_[20:05] **KittenPie:** Me_

[20:06] **CatDad:** Be over soon :)

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

[17:56] **TooruBelieves:** OH MY GOD

[17:57] **TooruBelieves:** OH MY GOD IWA-CHAN

[17:58] **TooruBelieves:** ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE YOU SHIT DONUT

_[17:59] **Iwa-chan <3:** So_

_[17:59] **Iwa-chan <3:** That’s a new one_

_[18:00] **Iwa-chan <3:** But I’m in lab_

[18:00] **TooruBelieves:** You’re always in fucking lab

[18:01] **TooruBelieves:** Why do you even pay rent you should just take a comforter and move into the cadaver drawer

_[18:03] **Iwa-chan <3: **That’s disgusting_

_[18:03] **Iwa-chan <3: **They’ll get pissed if I keep checking my phone_

[18:03] **TooruBelieves:** Then take a fucking pee break I need you right now

_[18:05] **Iwa-chan <3: **Are you dying?_

[18:06] **TooruBelieves:** YES

[18:08] **TooruBelieves:** …………No. :(

_[18:08] **Iwa-chan <3: **Give me 15 then I’m almost done_

[18:10] **TooruBelieves:** AHHHHHHHHH

[18:16] **TooruBelieves:** AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[18:19] **TooruBelieves:** AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

_[18:21] **Iwa-chan <3: **Okay what’s going on_

[18:22] **TooruBelieves:** Okay so I took your shitty fucking advice and asked Kuroo-chan for a picture

 _[18:23] **Iwa-chan <3: **_Did they turn out to be a serial killer?

[18:23] **TooruBelieves:** NO

[18:24] **TooruBelieves:** WORSE

_[18:25] **Iwa-chan <3: **What the fuck is worse than a serial killer_

[18:26] **TooruBelieves:** HE’S FUCKING

[18:26] **TooruBelieves:** HOT AS FUCK

_[18:27] **Iwa-chan <3: **How is that a problem???_

[18:28] **TooruBelieves:** BECAUSE

[18:29] **TooruBelieves:** I TOLD HIM I’M AN AESTHETIC MIRACLE

_[18:30] **Iwa-chan <3: **Of course you did._

[18:30] **TooruBelieves:** HE TOLD ME HE HAD BAD HAIR IWA-CHAN

_[18:31] **Iwa-chan <3: **Okay??????_

[18:32] **TooruBelieves:** HIS HAIR ISN’T BAD

[18:33] **TooruBelieves:** NOTHING ABOUT HIM IS BAD

_[18:34] **Iwa-chan <3: **I still fail to see why this is an issue_

_[18:34] **Iwa-chan <3: **You’d normally hook up with someone like that asap_

[18:36] **TooruBelieves:** I CAN’T DO THAT

_[18:37] **Iwa-chan <3: **Why???_

[18:38] **TooruBelieves:** You literally do not understand

[18:38] **TooruBelieves:** Here

[18:38] **TooruBelieves:** [Img]

_[18:41] **Iwa-chan <3: **Well._

_[18:41] **Iwa-chan <3: **Shit._

[18:42] **TooruBelieves:** I

[18:42] **TooruBelieves:** KNOW

_[18:43] **Iwa-chan <3: **He’s delicious hot damn._

_[18:43] **Iwa-chan <3: **You should jump on that like immediately right now_

[18:44] **TooruBelieves:** IWA-CHAN

[18:45] **TooruBelieves:** THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR GAY ASS TO BE SO THIRSTY

_[18:46] **Iwa-chan <3: **You’re calling me a thirsty gay??? You?????_

[18:46] **TooruBelieves:** I NEED SOME SERIOUS HELP RIGHT NOW

_[18:47] **Iwa-chan <3: **Send him a selfie back? You know you’re gorgeous you literally talk about it all the time_

[18:48] **TooruBelieves:** I CAN’T

_[18:50] **Iwa-chan <3: **Why????_

[18:50] **TooruBelieves:** I’ve been looking through all of my selfies for almost two hours and I can’t find a single one even close to his level

_[18:51] **Iwa-chan <3: **You’re a good-looking person I think anything from your Instagram will suffice_

[18:52] **TooruBelieves:** Ughhhhhhhhhhh

[18:52] **TooruBelieves:** I need something that will blow his mind not just “suffice”

_[18:53] **Iwa-chan <3: **Why?_

_[18:53] **Iwa-chan <3: **Have you actually been hitting on him?_

[18:54] **TooruBelieves:** A little???? Idk we’re just friends but I don’t want to close that door before it even opens

_[18:54] **Iwa-chan <3: **How do you close an unopened door…_

[18:56] **TooruBelieves:** NOT THE POINT IWA-CHAN

_[18:58] **Iwa-chan <3: **Well have you tried taking a new selfie?_

[18:59] **TooruBelieves:** Wow

[18:59] **TooruBelieves:** Thank you Iwa-chan

[19:00] **TooruBelieves:** I would have never thought to do that all on my own

[19:00] **TooruBelieves:** Thank god I have you

_[19:02] **Iwa-chan <3: **Calm down Shittykawa Jesus_

_[19:03] **Iwa-chan <3: **You know I’m not good with this kind of thing_

[19:04] **TooruBelieves:** That’s true you don’t even have Insta

[19:04] **TooruBelieves:** I need to figure something out fast though I haven’t responded yet he’s probably freaking out lol

_[19:05] **Iwa-chan <3: **Maybe ask Suga? He’s super good with selfies and that shit_

[19:06] **TooruBelieves:** YES

[19:06] **TooruBelieves:** Omg why didn’t I think of that

[19:07] **TooruBelieves:** Why did I come to your unhelpful ass first

_[19:08] **Iwa-chan <3: **Thanks…_

[19:10] **TooruBelieves:** I love you <3

_[19:11] **Iwa-chan <3: **Keep me updated_

 

[19:11] **TooruBelieves:** Suga I need your help right now please tell me you aren’t busy

_[19:13] **PrincessRefreshing:** I’m always free for you bby  <3_

_[19:14] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _What’s up?_

[19:15] **TooruBelieves:** Kay so I’ve been texting this guy whose number I accidentally got when I typed in Iwa-chan’s wrong and he just sent me a pic and he’s HOT

 _[19:16] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Oooooo la la Tooru~~_

[19:17] **TooruBelieves:** NO THIS IS BAD

 _[19:17] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Oh????_

[19:18] **TooruBelieves:** I gotta respond it’s been over two hours and I can’t find a good pic or take a good enough new one

 _[19:19] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Tooru you’re gorgeous I’m sure anything you painstakingly posted on social media will be good_

[19:20] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my god that’s what Iwa-chan said bUT YOU DON’T GET IT

[19:20] **TooruBelieves:** This is him [Img]

 _[19:24] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Holy shit_

 _[19:25] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Fuck_

[19:26] **TooruBelieves:** I FUCKING KNOW

[19:26] **TooruBelieves:** And of course I was an IDIOT and literally called myself an aesthetic miracle

 _[19:27] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _You would XD_

[19:28] **TooruBelieves:** Help meeeeeeeee Sugaaaaaaaa

 _[19:29] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _Do you want me to come help you take a fab selfie?_

[19:30] **TooruBelieves:** Yes please :)

 _[19:30] **PrincessRefreshing:**_ _I can be there in 10_

[19:31] **TooruBelieves:** Thank you D;:

 

**[CatDad]**

_[21:34] **Noodle-kawa:** Omggggggg Kuroo-chan I’m so sorry my phone died :( :(_

[21:34] **CatDad:** Wow there you are XD

[21:34] **CatDad:** Lol no worries

[21:35] **CatDad:** Was that a good enough pic

_[21:36] **Noodle-kawa:** Yessss you look really nice_

_[21:36] **Noodle-kawa:** 10/10_

_[21:37] **Noodle-kawa:** Def not a serial killer Iwa-chan approves_

[21:38] **CatDad:** Thank god XD

[21:38] **CatDad:** Ngl when it took you all day to respond I thought you hated it

[21:39] **CatDad:** And me

_[21:41] **Noodle-kawa:** Omg noooooo no no not at all_

_[21:42] **Noodle-kawa:** You look super good seriously_

[21:43] **CatDad:** Cool XD

_[21:45] **Noodle-kawa:** Even if you didn’t why tf would you want to be friends with me if I dumped you over a selfie XD XD_

[21:47] **CatDad:** Idk I like you as a person

_[21:49] **Noodle-kawa:** Don’t do that to yourself that’s so effed up_

[21:50] **CatDad:** Noted lol

_[21:52] **Noodle-kawa:** Also like_

_[21:53] **Noodle-kawa:** What the fuck were you saying about bad hair??? Your hair is fab_

[21:53] **CatDad:** Are you for real

_[21:54] **Noodle-kawa:** Yeah!!! I like it, it’s edgy lol_

[21:55] **Noodle-kawa:** _How do you style it actually it looks like it takes a lot of work_

[21:55] **CatDad:** It’s my literal bedhead

_[21:56] **Noodle-kawa:** Are you shitting me_

[21:57] **CatDad:** No

[21:57] **CatDad:** I sleep with my head between two pillows so it just kind of

[21:57] **CatDad:** Sticks up like that?

[21:58] **CatDad:** Idk I can’t get rid of it

_[21:59] **Noodle-kawa:** Why tf would you want to_

_[21:59] **Noodle-kawa:** I’m so mad right now your hair just magically styles itself_

[22:00] **CatDad:** I’m glad you like it XD

[22:01] **CatDad:** Kenma’s partner calls me rooster head

_[22:02] **Noodle-kawa:** JESUS_

_[22:02] **Noodle-kawa:** I can kind of see that :P_

_[22:03] **Noodle-kawa:** But also_

_[22:03] **Noodle-kawa:** Why the fuck do you sleep with your head between two pillows???_

_[22:03] **Noodle-kawa:** Seriously who on earth does that it sounds horrible D:_

[22:04] **CatDad:** I do I guess????

[22:04] **CatDad:** Idk it’s just how I sleep don’t drag me like this XD

_[22:05] **Noodle-kawa:** You’re weird XP _

[22:05] **CatDad:** ANYWAY now you gotta uphold your end of the deal

_[22:06] **Noodle-kawa:** Oh right!!!!_

_[22:06] **Noodle-kawa:** Here _

 

[22:09] **CatDad:** Whoa

_[22:10] **Noodle-kawa:**????????_

[22:12] **CatDad:** Hot damn

[22:12] **CatDad:** You weren’t kidding

_[22:15] **Noodle-kawa:** Oh?? Does Kuroo-chan approve ;)_

[22:16] **CatDad:** I mean yeah

[22:16] **CatDad:** I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t

[22:17] **CatDad:** Shit gtg but I’ll be back

_[22:18] **Noodle-kawa:** Yay!!! :D I’m glad_

_[22:18] **Noodle-kawa:** Not that I’m surprised ;P_

_[22:19] **Noodle-kawa:** Okay Kuroo-chan~~_

 

[22:20] **CatDad:** KENMA

_[22:23] **KittenPie:** Yes?_

[22:24] **CatDad:** OIKAWA MESSAGED ME BACK

_[22:24] **KittenPie:** Oh?_

_[22:25] **KittenPie:** Was it good?_

[22:26] **CatDad:** OH MY GOD

[22:26] **CatDad:** KENMA I’M REALLY GAY

[22:26] **CatDad:** LIKE REALLY REALLY GAY

_[22:27] **KittenPie:** I thought you were bi…?_

_[22:28] **KittenPie:** Also aren’t they nonbinary so it’s not gay exactly_

[22:28] **CatDad:** KITTENPIE FOCUS YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

_[22:29] **KittenPie:** Can I see?_

[22:29] **CatDad:** [Img]

_[22:34] **KittenPie:** Oh._

_[22:34] **KittenPie:** Yeah._

[22:35] **CatDad:** What does that mean XD

_[22:36] **KittenPie:** They’re definitely your type._

[22:36] **CatDad:** I have a type???

_[22:38] **KittenPie:** You like people who are pretty and androgynous._

[22:39] **CatDad:** I guess that’s true XD

[22:41] **CatDad:** What the fuck do I say tho

_[22:43] **KittenPie:** What do you mean?_

[22:43] **CatDad:** KP this is the fucking selfie I sent them [Img]

_[22:46] **KittenPie:** Oh. I like that picture._

[22:47] **CatDad:** LOOK AT MY HAIR

[22:47] **CatDad:** LOOK AT MY CLOTHES

[22:47] **CatDad:** I’M IN BOKUTO’S STUDIO

[22:47] **CatDad:** I DON’T DANCE

[22:48] **CatDad:** WHAT IF THEY ASK ME TO GO DANCING

[22:48] **CatDad:** I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PICK UP A HOBBY LIKE THAT

_[22:49] **KittenPie:** Okay_

_[22:49] **KittenPie:** Take some deep breaths._

_[22:51] **KittenPie:** That’s a good picture of you and you look fine._

[22:52] **CatDad:** I might look FINE but they look GORGEOUS

_[22:53] **KittenPie:** Did they react poorly to your photo?_

[22:54] **CatDad:** Well…..

[22:54] **CatDad:** No. They said it looked good

_[22:55] **KittenPie:** Then why are you worried?_

[22:57] **CatDad:** They’re soooooo pretttyyyyyy

[22:57] **CatDad:** I don’t know how to interact with them now.

_[22:58] **KittenPie:** Like you did before? I don’t see why this changes anything._

[22:59] **CatDad:** I’m attracted to them, KP

[23:00] **CatDad:** But idk what the fuck that means

[23:02] **CatDad:** Like do I want to kiss you, do I want to fuck you, do I want to hold your hand, do I want to be your best friend…

_[23:03] **KittenPie:** Can you not want all of those things?_

[23:04] **CatDad:** I can but I don’t knowwwwww

[23:04] **CatDad:** I don’t know what I want D;:

_[23:04] **KittenPie:** That’s okay._

_[23:05] **KittenPie:** Don’t act any differently then. There’s nothing wrong with continuing to be their friend._

[23:06] **CatDad:** Should I try to flirt????

[23:07] **CatDad:** I haven’t even met them and I really, /really/ want to kiss them right now

[23:08] **CatDad:** They’re so pretty Kenma

[23:10] **CatDad:** Soooooooo, so so so pretty

_[23:11] **KittenPie:** I’m not sure if that’s advice I’m qualified to give._

_[23:12] **KittenPie:** Ask Bokuto?_

[23:12] **CatDad:** Okay I’ll do that thanks KP

 

[23:13] **CatDad:** Hey babe~

_[23:15] **BigHoot:** Hey baby~~_

[23:16] **CatDad:** I need your gay-ass advice

_[23:17] **BigHoot:** Oh??? ;)_

[23:17] **CatDad:** So

[23:18] **CatDad:** Did you and Akaashi talk a lot over message before hooking up?

_[23:19] **BigHoot:** Not really lol_

_[23:20] **BigHoot:** We matched and then had like a 5 message convo and then I met them at their place_

[23:22] **CatDad:** FUUUCCKKKKKKKK

[23:22] **CatDad:** Unhelpful :(

_[23:24] **BigHoot:** What’s wrong?? :O_

[23:25] **CatDad:** Well this person texted the wrong number (me) and we’ve been talking a lot and getting to know each other and then we exchanged selfies and they’RE SO HOT

_[23:26] **BigHoot:** Oooooo that sounds like fun!!_

[23:27] **CatDad:** Well it’s not

_[23:28] **BigHoot:** Why??? :/_

[23:29] **CatDad:** This isn’t Tinder

[23:31] **CatDad:** I can’t just go from casual conversation to “hey wanna bang at my apartment later”

_[23:31] **BigHoot:** Lol why not XD_

[23:32] **CatDad:** Literally

[23:33] **CatDad:** So many reasons why the fuck not

_[23:34] **BigHoot:** Alright alright calm down XD_

_[23:35] **BigHoot:** Do you want to bang them though?_

[23:36] **CatDad:** I can’t???? Decide??????

[23:37] **CatDad:** I asked about you and Akaashi because I wanted to know when an appropriate amount of time has passed to flirt

[23:37] **CatDad:** Or if I should flirt????

[23:38] **CatDad:** Maybe they don’t like men?????

_[23:39] **BigHoot:** Oh!!!! Why didn’t you just ask that XD_

_[23:40] **BigHoot:** I can totally help with that_

[23:40] **CatDad:** Pleaseeee I’m taking 5ever to respond

_[23:41] **BigHoot:** Babe please never say 5ever again_

[23:41] **CatDad:** HELP ME

_[23:42] **BigHoot:** Lol XD_

_[23:43] **BigHoot:** Well okay so we hooked up totally just looking for like a one-night stand_

_[23:43] **BigHoot:** Because it was right after me and Hana broke up and Keiji was just doin’ their thing you know_

[23:45] **CatDad:** For sure

_[23:48] **BigHoot:** But then like…the sex was mind-blowing and really, really fun like we laughed a lot it was so great_

[23:48] **CatDad:** That’s disgusting...ly cute

_[23:49] **BigHoot:** Yeah! So I message them again right and I was like “I wanna get to know you” so then we just talked for a while before they asked me on an actual date_

[23:50] **CatDad:** I remember that

[23:51] **CatDad:** I’m not sure how applicable that is tho cuz you’d already slept together and I haven’t even met this person IRL

_[23:52] **BigHoot:** Maybe that’s ur answer then???_

_[23:53] **BigHoot:** Like meet up with them and see where that goes?_

[23:54] **CatDad:** Hmmm okay that’s not a bad idea actually lol

[23:55] **CatDad:** They do keep talking about me coming to visit them

_[23:55] **BigHoot:** Do they live far???_

[23:56] **CatDad:** I’m not sure. They’re a uni student so probs not too far

[23:57] **CatDad:** But they work at the Chocolate Cherry and they keep asking me to come see them

 _[23:58] **BigHoot:**_ Oh I’ve heard that place is good! Expensive tho XD

[23:59] **CatDad:** Lol

[23:59] **CatDad:** Well thanks this was helpful

_[00:00] **BigHoot:** Ofc!!! Good luck :P_

 

[00:01] **CatDad:** Hey I’m back haha

_[00:02] **Noodle-kawa:** Hello Kuroo-chan~~_

[00:03] **CatDad:** So yeah your selfie is good

[00:03] **CatDad:** And I’d be annoyed about the “aesthetic perfection” thing if it was totally unjustified XD

_[00:04] **Noodle-kawa:** Be careful Kuroo-chan ;)_

_[00:05] **Noodle-kawa:** Don’t go falling in love with me now just cuz I’m beautiful~~_

[00:06] **CatDad:** Lord in HEAVEN

[00:07] **CatDad:** Is that cowlick natural or styled?

_[00:08] **Noodle-kawa:** Everything about me is natural ;) ;)_

[00:09] **CatDad:** Yeah?

[00:10] **CatDad:** Your hair naturally just says “fuck you” to the laws of physics and curls like that?

 _[00:11] **Noodle-kawa:**_ _Of course!!! ;D_

[00:11] **CatDad:** My GOD

[00:12] **CatDad:** Send me a selfie at like 7am and I’ll believe you

_[00:13] **Noodle-kawa:** Ew XP_

_[00:14] **Noodle-kawa:** Who in god’s name is awake at 7am_

[00:14] **CatDad:** People who have class at 8 lol

 _[00:15] **Noodle-kawa:**_ _Well that sounds like you dug your own grave there Kuroo-chan~_

[00:16] **CatDad:** Chemistry dug me an early grave haha

_[00:17] **Noodle-kawa:** Lol_

_[00:18] **Noodle-kawa:** Alright so now that we’re level 3 friends AND you know what I look like_

_[00:18] **Noodle-kawa:** Will you come visit me?? :D :D_

[00:20] **CatDad:** Hmmmmmm

_[00:20] **Noodle-kawa:**????????_

[00:21] **CatDad:** Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 _[00:21] **Noodle-kawa:**_??????? :( :(

[00:23] **CatDad:** I think that sounds fair :)

_[00:24] **Noodle-kawa:** Omg yay!!!!_

_[00:25] **Noodle-kawa:** We should set up a time while I’m working! That way I can make you something yummy :)_

[00:26] **CatDad:** Oh geez you don’t have to do that lol

_[00:27] **Noodle-kawa:** Well I’m gonna!!!_

[00:28] **CatDad:** Let’s set up a time first XD

_[00:28] **Noodle-kawa:** Right right~~_

[00:29] **CatDad:** When do you work?

_[00:31] **Noodle-kawa:** Mostly weekends, some week nights_

[00:32] **CatDad:** Are you working this Saturday??

_[00:32] **Noodle-kawa:** Like, in 2 days?? Or…1 day now I guess haha_

[00:33] **CatDad:** Ya lol

_[00:34] **Noodle-kawa:** So eager Kuroo-chan~_

[00:35] **CatDad:** We can choose another time Noodle-kawa

 _[00:35] **Noodle-kawa:**_ OH MY GOD NO WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME THAT

_[00:36] **Noodle-kawa:** That’s the worst nickname I’ve literally ever been given_

_[00:36] **Noodle-kawa:** And Iwa calls me Shittykawa XD_

[00:37] **CatDad:** Well you put those stupid noodles after every other text

[00:37] **CatDad:** Plus you’re ridiculous

 _[00:38] **Noodle-kawa:**_ _They have a name! It’s perfectly acceptable texting punctuation_

[00:39] **CatDad:** Sure lol

[00:39] **CatDad:** If I can live with Kuroo-chan you can live with Noodle-kawa

_[00:40] **Noodle-kawa:** Mean :( :(_

[00:40] **CatDad:** Welcome :)

[00:41] **CatDad:** You didn’t actually answer my question btdubs

_[00:42] **Noodle-kawa:** “btdubs”_

_[00:42] **Noodle-kawa:** “oh geez”_

_[00:42] **Noodle-kawa:** “bed before midnight”_

_[00:42] **Noodle-kawa:** Are you actually a million years old?_

[00:43] **CatDad:** You’ve seen a picture of me!

[00:44] **CatDad:** I’m clearly in my 20s

 _[00:46] **Noodle-kawa:**_ _I’m skeptical_

[00:47] **CatDad:** Will you stop avoiding the question :P

_[00:48] **Noodle-kawa:** Bossy bossy~_

_[00:49] **Noodle-kawa:** I was checking my schedule_

[00:49] **CatDad:** You don’t know your schedule 2 days before you work??

_[00:50] **Noodle-kawa:** So mean to meeeee XP_

_[00:51] **Noodle-kawa:** I work from 10am to 2pm_

[00:52] **CatDad:** Cool

[00:53] **CatDad:** I can drop by at 1pm? Is that too late?

_[00:54] **Noodle-kawa:** There might be a rush but yea that’s fine :)_

[00:55] **CatDad:** Cool :)

[00:55] **CatDad:** Oh my god it’s 1am

[00:56] **CatDad:** I gotta go to bed I have to be up in four and a half hours omg

_[00:56] **Noodle-kawa:** You get up at 5:30 for an 8am class???_

[00:57] **CatDad:** Just on Fridays, I walk with Kenma

[00:58] **CatDad:** They live like 30 mins away from me and like 20 away from campus so

_[00:59] **Noodle-kawa:** Lol okay whatever have fun sleeping grandpa-chan_

[00:59] **CatDad:** Night Noodle-kawa :)

 

**Fri 18/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[9:33] **TooruBelieves:** Kuroo-chan~~

[9:35] **TooruBelieves:** I hope your morning class was lovely!

 _[9:37]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Morning_

[9:38] **TooruBelieves:** So terse! You’ve already been awake for four hours you think you’d be more polite~

 _[9:41]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I will kill you with a spatula_

[9:42] **TooruBelieves:** Kuroo-chan is /not/ a morning person. Noted

[9:42] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t remember you being this rude the last time I texted you in the morning

 _[9:43]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I had coffee that morning._

[9:44] **TooruBelieves:** Oh? Why no coffee this morning?

 _[9:45]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _My coffee maker broke._

[9:45] **TooruBelieves:** Shame!!! :(

 _[9:46]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _It’s fine lol Kenma is getting me some_

 _[9:47]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Wait did you just wake up???_

[9:48] **TooruBelieves:** I’ve been up for a bit~~

 _[9:49]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Dammit_

[9:49] **TooruBelieves:**?????????

 _[9:50]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I wanted to see your bedhead XD_

[9:51] **TooruBelieves:** Oh~~

 _[9:52]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I refuse to believe your hair is /that/ perfect first thing in the morning. It isn’t possible_

[9:53] **TooruBelieves:** Well you’ll get to see it in person soon! :D

[9:54] **TooruBelieves:** If you still wanna come tomorrow~~

 _[9:55]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Yeah! Of course :)_

 _[9:55]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Mostly to see your hair_

[9:55] **TooruBelieves:** And here I thought you wanted to get to know me as a person

[9:56] **TooruBelieves:** But I understand

[9:56] **TooruBelieves:** Few can resist my beauty <3

 _[9:57]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Oh yeah?_

[9:58] **TooruBelieves:** Yes! It is a burden I have learned to bear

 _[9:59]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Who even are you XD_

 _[10:00]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Calm down Narcissus, you’re gonna get frozen staring at your own reflection if you aren’t careful :P_

[10:01] **TooruBelieves:** There are worse fates :) :)

[10:02] **TooruBelieves:** Also, I still need to know what kind of sweets you want <3 <3

 _[10:03]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Nooooooooooooooo_

[10:03] **TooruBelieves:** What? :O

 _[10:04]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _You don’t have to do that_

[10:05] **TooruBelieves:** Well of course I don’t /have/ to you silly man

[10:05] **TooruBelieves:** But I’m offering out of the pure goodness of my heart :D

 _[10:06]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Fineeeee_

 _[10:09]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I don’t actually like sweets that much tbh_

[10:10] **TooruBelieves:** Oh dear

[10:10] **TooruBelieves:** We might not be able to be friends then XD

 _[10:11]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Lol I’m just picky don’t freak out_

[10:12] **TooruBelieves:** XO

 _[10:12]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Omg XD_

 _[10:14]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Do y’all make malonpan?_

[10:15] **TooruBelieves:** Of course!!! We have a few kinds :)

[10:16] **TooruBelieves:** I can surprise you???

 _[10:17]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Sure! As long as it isn’t a sugar bomb_

[10:17] **TooruBelieves:** Further proof that you are indeed a crusty old man

 _[10:18]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I’m guessing you have some kind of massive sweet tooth then?_

 _[10:18]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Further proof that you’re actually a child_

[10:18] **TooruBelieves:** MEAN KUROO-CHAN

[10:19] **TooruBelieves:** But yeah I LOOVVVEEEE sweets!

[10:20] **TooruBelieves:** My favorite thing we make is this vanilla milk bread it’s sooooooo good

[10:20] **TooruBelieves:** And this strawberry awayuki that is absolutely to DIE for

 _[10:21]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Vanilla milk bread???? Is that allowed????_

 _[10:21]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Sounds like some bullshit to me :P_

[10:23] **TooruBelieves:** It’s so good!!! I can give you some if you want???

[10:23] **TooruBelieves:** Some melonpan and the milk bread? :D

 _[10:24]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _That’s sooooo much are you sure_

[10:24] **TooruBelieves:** Yes omg Kuroo-chan XD

[10:25] **TooruBelieves:** You’re absolute shit at accepting gifts aren’t you lol

 _[10:27]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Kinda haha_

 _[10:27]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I usually only let level 6+ friends buy me things_

 _[10:28]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _But it’s super nice of you thanks :)_

[10:29] **TooruBelieves:** There you go :D

[10:29] **TooruBelieves:** I think this should bump me up a level then

 _[10:30]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Don’t get ahead of yourself lol_

 _[10:31]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I think I actually need to meet you before we can level up_

 _[10:31]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _But this will be like…extra points_

[10:32] **TooruBelieves:** Fine XP

[10:32] **TooruBelieves:** Just wait until you meet me I’ll be level 6+ before you know it :D :D

 _[10:33]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Lol okay I’m looking forward to it_

[10:34] **TooruBelieves:** Me too :)

[10:34] **TooruBelieves:** You seem less grumpy Kuroo-chan~~ Did you get your coffee?

 _[10:35]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I did :)_

 _[10:35]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _I’m no longer on the cusp of death_

[10:36] **TooruBelieves:** Well that’s good lol

[10:36] **TooruBelieves:** What kind did you get :O

 _[10:37]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _What do you mean?_

[10:38] **TooruBelieves:** Like, what kind of drink??

 _[10:38]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Uh_

 _[10:39]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** _Coffee?????_

[10:40] **TooruBelieves:** What /kind/ of coffee omg

 _[10:41]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ :** It might be hazelnut????? I have no clue

[10:42] **TooruBelieves:** Wait

 _[10:42]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **??????????????????

[10:42] **TooruBelieves:** WAIT

 _[10:42]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **?????????????? waiting ?????????????????

[10:43] **TooruBelieves:** Did you just get regular-ass fucking coffee????

[10:43] **TooruBelieves:** Not even a latte or anything?? D:

 _[10:44]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Yes I drink it black_

 _[10:45]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_I’m guessing you don’t approve XD_

[10:46] **TooruBelieves:** That’s so grossssss XP XC

[10:46] **TooruBelieves:** How tf do you drink that shit

[10:50] **TooruBelieves:** You nasty ass

 _[10:53]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Damn I just got fucking roasted for drinking coffee_

[10:54] **TooruBelieves:** XC XC

 _[10:55]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Lol well you don’t have to drink it Noodle-kawa_

 _[10:55]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_I like the black better it wakes me up_

 _[10:55]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Nice shock to my system_

[10:56] **TooruBelieves:** It’s sooooooo bitter

 _[10:57]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Yeah well_

 _[10:57]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_So is cum but I’mma still swallow_

[10:59] **TooruBelieves:** I’M SCREAMING

[11:00] **TooruBelieves:** LITERALLY SHRIEKING RN

[11:05] **TooruBelieves:** I almost got kicked out of lecture omgggggg

 _[11:06]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Oops :P_

[11:09] **TooruBelieves:** On that delightful note~~

[11:10] **TooruBelieves:** I should probably pay attention in this class

[11:11] **TooruBelieves:** I’ll see you tomorrow???

 _[11:12]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Yup :) :)_

 _[11:13]_ **_Kuroo-chan_ : **_Have a good class!!!_

[11:13] **TooruBelieves:** I’m excited :D

[11:15] **TooruBelieves:** You too!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [floral-fae](http://www.floral-fae.tumblr.com) is the best for the edits.
> 
> For the full size of these images, check out my [tumblr post](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com/post/159690526099/kuroo-and-oikawas-selfies-from-chapter-2-my) :D
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://www.skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	3. The Day the Earth Stood Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [13:48] **CatDad:** It’s gonna be a no-go on the breakthrough  
>  _[13:49] **BigHoot:** I’m gonna go ahead and say that’s stupid but whatever :P_  
>  [13:50] **CatDad:** Duuudddeeee I didn’t text you to get a one-way ticket for this guilt trip  
>  _[13:51] **BigHoot:** Fine fine sorry :P_  
>  _[13:51] **BigHoot:** What are they like tho??? Did you get to talk to them at all?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the beginning of the story’s narration :) There will still be a lot of texting of course but it will be flavored with normal prose. I hope you enjoy!

**Sat 19/11/16 [CatDad]**

[11:22] **CatDad:** Heyyyyyy Keiji

_[11:25] **LilHoot:** Yes Kuroo?_

[11:25] **CatDad:** I need your help with something if you aren’t busy :)

_[11:26] **LilHoot:** Just hanging out with Koutarou :) What’s up?_

[11:27] **CatDad:** Has Kou told you about my hot wrong number friend person???

_[11:28] **LilHoot:** Uh_

_[11:29] **LilHoot:** He has not_

_[11:29] **LilHoot:** What a name_

[11:29] **CatDad:** Idk what to call them haha

_[11:29] **LilHoot:** By their name…?_

[11:30] **CatDad:** They texted the wrong number (me) and now we’re friends and also they’re extremely attractive

[11:33] **CatDad:** Their name is Oikawa lol

_[11:34] **LilHoot:** Oh!_

_[11:34] **LilHoot:** Yes, he briefly mentioned you were losing your mind over an attractive stranger_

[11:35] **CatDad:** Of course that’s how he’d phrase it XD

_[11:36] **LilHoot:** Yep_

_[11:36] **LilHoot:** What would you like help with?_

[11:37] **CatDad:** Well…I’m going to meet them today and I want to make sure I really leave a good impression so I need help getting dressed

_[11:39] **LilHoot:** ARE YOU GOING ON A DATE WITH THEM????? :D :D_

_[11:39] **LilHoot:** GET IT TETSU_

_[11:41] **LilHoot:** -_-_

_[11:41] **LilHoot:** Bokuto stole my phone_

_[11:42] **LilHoot:** He is currently screaming and doing a victory lap around the apartment?_

[11:43] **CatDad:** Tell him it isn’t a date XD

_[11:45] **LilHoot:** He’s sulking now_

_[11:45] **LilHoot:** How long has this been going on? He seems very invested_

[11:46] **CatDad:** Literally not that long your boyfriend needs to calm down

_[11:47] **LilHoot:** Now he’s glaring at me_

_[11:48] **LilHoot:** I am not getting in the middle of a lover’s quarrel pain-in-the-ass Kuroo_

[11:49] **CatDad:** Noooooo please I really need your help

_[11:50] **LilHoot:** With clothes? Why didn’t you ask Koutarou?_

[11:51] **CatDad:** Seriously?

[11:52] **CatDad:** You’re asking me why I didn’t talk to Kou?

[11:53] **CatDad:** Keiji.

[11:53] **CatDad:** I love your boyfriend

[11:53] **CatDad:** But his sense of fashion is ATROCIOUS

[11:54] **CatDad:** Keiji he has PLAID JEANS

_[11:55] **LilHoot:** Not anymore he doesn’t_

[11:56] **CatDad:** Oh my god what did you do

_[11:56] **LilHoot:** Nothing at all of course :)_

[11:57] **CatDad:** Omg XD

[11:58] **CatDad:** Okay but seriously will you help me? I’m meeting them in an hour

_[11:59] **LilHoot:** I can absolutely try._

_[12:00] **LilHoot:** What are you struggling with?_

[12:01] **CatDad:** My presentation mostly

[12:02] **CatDad:** Exactly how femme do I want them to see me as XD

[12:02] **CatDad:** I was pretty masc in my photo

_[12:04] **LilHoot:** What’s going to make you the most comfortable and make you feel the most confident?_

[12:05] **CatDad:** I don’t know that’s why I need help haha

_[12:06] **LilHoot:** Okay_

_[12:06] **LilHoot:** Would you like me to come over?_

[12:06] **CatDad:** If you wouldn’t mind :P

_[12:07] **LilHoot:** Of course._

_[12:07] **LilHoot:** Koutarou wants to come_

[12:08] **CatDad:** Ofc! But he’s not allowed to dress me

_[12:08] **LilHoot:** Absolutely _

_[12:08] **LilHoot:** Be there soon Tetsurou_

           

“You’re a miracle worker Keiji,” Kuroo with a grin, admiring his reflection in his floor-length mirror.

He stood with Keiji in his bedroom, allowing them to mess around with him as much as they liked. Keiji was style manifest in human form. With their glasses perched on the end of their nose, trained fingers tugging Kuroo's clothes just so, they looked like a professional.

Bokuto sat on the end of Kuroo's bed watching and giving his enthusiastic approval. He'd been very explicitly banned from actually giving any advice, but he was wonderful moral support.

“It isn’t a miracle when you’re working with a quality canvas,” Keiji said with a little smile. They stood behind Kuroo, straightening his clothes, brushing off some lint, but obviously proud of their creation.

Kuroo wore an outfit Keiji had taken twenty careful minutes to assemble.  An incredibly soft grey T-shirt had been draped over muscles still fairly defined from his athletic youth. His calves, thighs, and ass were hugged tight by charcoal-colored skinny jeans distressed at the knees. Keiji accessorized the look with his plain black Chucks and a navy blue, fringed scarf. Together with all of his piercings and black nail polish he looked…

“You’re hella femme,” Bokuto chimed in brightly, swinging his feet off the end of Kuroo’s bed.

“Yeah,” Kuroo said with a grin. “I hope they like it. I was pretty masc in my photo.”

“It suits you,” Keiji praised, making one final move to adjust his scarf before stepping back to admire their work. “This is just as true to you as your photo. It’s important for them to see that.”

“Damn. That was deep babe,” Bokuto said admiringly.

Kuroo snorted and shook his head. To Bokuto, everything Keiji did was deep or impressive. They were so hopelessly in love with each other Kuroo was sure his teeth would fall out sometimes from the sickening sweetness of their relationship.

Keiji was right, though—Kuroo looked pretty great in the outfit they’d picked out for him. Thank god for his friends.

“It does help me feel confident,” Kuroo agreed. “Besides, they’re _very_ pretty. Gotta keep up.”

“You are a beautiful man, Tetsurou,” Keiji said with a half-smile.

“You really are,” Kou agreed enthusiastically. “If they don’t fall for you immediately I’ll kick their ass.”

That made Kuroo feel queasy. It wasn't a thought he wanted to even remotely entertain right now.

“I’d really prefer if you didn’t do that,” Kuroo replied. “I don’t know if that’s what I want, anyway. It’s just…meeting a friend.”

Kou raised his eyebrows and Kuroo watched him exchange a knowing look with Keiji. Kuroo’s eyes narrowed. Their locked eyes made it seem like they could read each other’s minds and Kuroo didn’t like it. He tugged on one of the tassels of his scarf, and he could suspect he knew what they were thinking and he liked that even less.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Keiji assured him, breaking Kou’s eye-contact in favor of straightening Kuroo’s scarf again.

Kuroo didn’t buy that for a hot minute. Unfortunately, his phone was vibrating with a reminder that he had twenty minutes to get himself to the bakery on time, so he didn’t question it.

“Shit, I gotta go,” Kuroo said, giving himself another once-over in the mirror. “Everything look okay? Am I presentable?"

"You look fab as fuck, Kuroo," Bokuto encouraged, flashing him the double thumbs-up.

"I agree. You'll do great," Keiji said, taking a moment to do one more sweep of his shirt to ensure there was a minimal amount of cat hair on his clothing.

"Perfect. Thank you both again for coming over here at the last possible second."

"Always," Bokuto replied. "Happy to help."

"Yes. Now go, go, or you're going to be late," Keiji said, shooing Kuroo out of the bedroom.

“I’m going!” Kuroo protested. He grabbed his peacoat on the way out the door, shrugging it on over his outfit and probably messing up everything Keiji had spent the last five minutes adjusting.

Keiji and Bokuto followed him into his living room, arms around each other and looking so adorable Kuroo wanted to throw up.

“You two are free to stay,” Kuroo said on his way out the door. “Kenma should be home from the vet with Okami soon and they’d love to see you.”

“Okay! Good luck!” Bokuto cheered, waving enthusiastically at Kuroo as the door swung shut behind him.

Kuroo left the house with a nice, pleasant excitement sparking in his chest. It had been a long time since Kuroo had really made any new connections. Going into his third year at university, Kuroo already set his social circles in stone. He didn’t really have any desire to go out and invite someone new into his life. Then Oikawa had gone and invited themselves into Kuroo’s life.

Kuroo walked down the street quietly smiling to himself. He was going to meet someone he really enjoyed, someone cute and funny and fun to talk to.

It was a little odd because it didn't feel like he was going to meet someone for the first time. He already knew Oikawa as well as a lot of his casual friends from school. They talked every day, multiple times a day, about anything and everything under the sun. He didn't know Oikawa apart from the flashes on his screen but he sure as hell felt like he did.

As he started to draw a little closer, though, Kou's comment wormed its way back into Kuroo's head. This definitely wasn't a date. Neither of them had set it up like that. But there was a tiny part of Kuroo that really wished it _were_ a date, because he knew, logically, that this dumb giddy bubbliness wasn't something he felt for his friends.

That was a part of himself he thought he'd killed, though, so when it started to spark up he focused on the cracks in the sidewalk and forced that monster back into the abyss.

By the time he saw the sign for The Chocolate Cherry come into view, however, he felt like he might be sick. He really was going to meet Oikawa: someone cute _and_ funny _and_ fun to talk to. The little sparks of anticipation were now surging charges of electric nervousness.

He pushed forward anyway. However nervous he might have been, he was far, far more excited to finally meet the person behind the screenname that kept him up into the unreasonable hours of the night. The name that always made his heart skip a beat when it flashed across his screen. The adorable face he absolutely had _not_ been staring at every chance he got since Oikawa had sent that selfie.

Outside the door, Kuroo took a moment to collect himself. He breathed deep, admiring the baby blue and pink stripes that outlined the doors and windows. He was definitely nervous, but more than anything he was so excited to meet Oikawa he thought he might crawl right out of his skin.

With an enormous exhale, Kuroo pushed the door open.

The Chocolate Cherry was an establishment very few college students would probably ever find themselves in. Crisp wooden floors, florescent lighting, immaculate white displays, and a chilly atmosphere all reflected an affluence Kuroo couldn’t empathize with. In line were about nine middle-aged to elderly women waiting expectantly for their cakes and pastries and whatever else people of that demographic ate. He didn’t give any of that much thought, though, because after initially taking in the nearly sterile-looking room there was only one thing he could focus on: the person behind the register.

Oikawa in person was…there was no way around it. They were _beautiful_. Even from a distance they were a stunning, gorgeous human being.

They wore cream-colored apron over a powder blue button-up rolled up to just above their elbows—the garment cut just right and highlighting their carefully crafted figure. Their hands were accentuated with the same teal nail polish as their selfie, ornamenting the thin, strong, knotted fingers of a setter. They accessorized their wrists with a number of bracelets made from beads and thin leather, and their nose with a gold septum ring encrusted with a pale gem Kuroo thought might be an opal, though it was hard to tell from where he stood. Their hair did indeed seem to defy gravity, curving gently upwards with a flowy sort of bounciness as they moved.

Their face was by far the most attractive thing about them. Thin, elegantly curving pink lips twitched at the corners as they spoke, as though they were constantly deciding whether to smirk or smile. They had an adorable button nose and angular jaw, brows perfectly sculpted and eyelashes sweeping forth from their eyelids.

And oh lord.

Oh _god_. Oh my _god_. It was good that Oikawa's eyes had been closed in their selfie or Kuroo would have died staring at it. They were the most beautiful, softest brown eyes Kuroo had ever seen in his life. It was unreal how perfectly shaped they were, how rich they were in color and depth. Beyond gorgeous. Kuroo could easily spend hours getting lost in those eyes, would find the task a pleasure.

Kuroo was suddenly _extremely_ self-conscious. He wasn’t exactly sure what the script was for an encounter like this. Did Kuroo call for them? Introduce himself like he was a stranger? Did he greet them like a friend? Did he wait in line for them? Did he wait for Oikawa to notice him? Did he shove to the front of the line and demand their attention?

Okay, so probably not the last one. But he still wasn’t sure what to do.

Oikawa saved him when they looked up as an elderly woman shuffled away from the counter. They found Kuroo, locking their gaze and stealing all of Kuroo’s air. Their mouth quirked into a full-fledged grin—playful and somehow so sincere.

They gave a grandiose, excitable wave with a chirping cheer of “Kuroo-chan!”. Every head in line turned in Kuroo’s direction. He felt blood crawl up his neck into his cheeks, making him suddenly feel like he was standing on the sun.

But Kuroo was friends with Bokuto, and he was more than used to ridiculous, loud public displays. So he smirked back, giving a little wave and standing with his weight resting on one leg, shoulders drooping and posturing in the most aloof way possible.

“Noodle-kawa,” he called back smoothly.

There was a moment where the air dropped about ten degrees, going stagnant as Kuroo waited for Oikawa to answer. From the general air of gaudiness they’d given him over text—and now a little in person—they didn’t seem like they’d take well to that nickname in public. Kuroo almost regretted saying it but, hey, Oikawa might as well find out early that he was a little bit of an asshole.

But then their smile got somehow even brighter, reaching all the way up to crinkle their eyes and Kuroo went weak at the knees.

“Give me just a moment, Nakagawa-san,” Oikawa said sweetly to the slightly younger-looking woman in front of the register.

They slipped out from behind the counter, strolling up to Kuroo with a sparkle in their eyes and an actual, honest-to-god skip in their step.

“Hello, Kuroo-chan,” they said, stopping a foot or so away from him with their arms folded across their chest. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Kuroo was well aware that every patron was keenly tuned into their little conversation, and Oikawa didn’t seem interested in keeping their voice down. Kuroo matched him, mouth stretching into a lopsided smile and stuffing his hands coolly into the pockets of his coat.

“Nice to meet you too. And you can call me Tetsurou, if you like.”

“Ooooo, have we moved beyond surnames this soon after meeting?” Oikawa asked with a trill. “I’d say that’s at least a level five sort of thing.”

“Well. I guess we’re at level five then.”

“I guess so. You can call me Tooru.”

_Tooru. That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful person._

“Tooru,” Kuroo repeated, biting back that super gay thought.

“You look lovely,” Oikawa complimented, like it was a throwaway sort of statement and definitely not one that should have color rising in Kuroo’s cheeks again.

“Thanks,” Kuroo replied without losing his smirk. “You don’t look bad either.”

“Excuse you, this uniform makes my skin glow,” Oikawa scoffed with a wink, and Kuroo laughed because they definitely weren’t _wrong_. It also perfectly complemented those gorgeous eyes of theirs.

“Yeah yeah, okay Noodle-kawa.”

“So rude,” Oikawa said indignantly. “You should be nicer to me, you know. I haven’t even given you your gift yet.”

“Are you bribing me to be nice to you?” Kuroo asked, cocking his brow.

Oikawa gasped dramatically, placing hand on their chest and looking so comically aghast Kuroo had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from bursting out laughing.

“How dare you accuse me when I’m going out of my way to be kind to you.”

“Yeah?” Kuroo asked shakily. “So if I’m nice to you I’ll get my sweets and then I can go?”

“Kuroo-chan is even meaner in person,” Oikawa pouted, but there was nothing at all behind it. “Unfortunately we’ve been so busy all day I haven’t had time to make it.”

“You make the food here?” Kuroo asked with genuine surprise. Oikawa struck him as someone who wanted to stay as far away from the mess of a kitchen as possible.

“I bake our simpler items, yes,” Oikawa smiled. “Nothing too extravagant, but no less delicious I can _assure_ you.”

Kuroo couldn’t help the snort of laughter that made its way through his nose this time. “Well, I have high expectations then, whenever I end up getting them.”

Oikawa beamed at him.

It was so odd, because for a first-time meeting it sure as hell didn’t feel like one. It was definitely a little uncomfortable, but in the same way that seeing an old friend after years apart was uncomfortable. Kuroo shuffled his feet a little, Oikawa didn’t seem to know quite what to do with their hands, but they were both smiling wide and easy.

“Well, I don’t want to keep you long,” Kuroo said after a moment of silence. He didn’t want to go, of course, but there were about eight increasingly annoyed-looking women waiting for Oikawa’s attention.

“Yeah, well, I did warn you that it was going to be busy,” Oikawa teased. “But I’ve been thinking…I get off in an hour and I really have been looking forward to this so I’d like it to last longer than about thirty seconds. There’s a tea shop right down the street, if you’d like to meet me there after my shift ends.”

“Oh, sure,” Kuroo agreed easily, because he also wanted this to last much, much longer than about thirty seconds. “What tea shop? I can head there now so you can get back to work.”

“It’s literally just called The Tea Room. It’s about a block that way,” Oikawa said, pointing to their left. “If you don’t mind waiting for me, Kuroo-chan.”

“Nah, I don’t have anywhere to be,” Kuroo said with a shrug.

Oikawa clapped with a little cheer and Kuroo snorted again. He was the “~” noodle thing incarnate.

“Yay! Okay, well, don’t miss me too much,” Oikawa said, walking back behind the counter with the same enthusiastic wave they’d given Kuroo earlier. “Bye Kuroo-chan!”

“Bye Noodle-kawa!” Kuroo made sure to yell back, though Oikawa hardly looked embarrassed.

Kuroo shook his head and walked down the street in the direction Oikawa indicated. He found the tea shop—an adorable little hole-in-the-wall kind of place with nicely dim lighting and extremely comfortable seating—without much trouble at all. He ordered himself some sort of fancy oolong tea before seating himself on a pouf by the window.

When Kuroo settled into his seat, he took a deep breath and realized that he was a little jittery, his heart actually fluttering against his sternum. He felt light and downright cheerful, replaying that fleeting encounter with Oikawa over and over in his head.

It was absolutely undeniable at this point that Kuroo was attracted to them. That he wanted to kiss them. That he probably wanted to do more than kiss them but wasn't allowing himself to go down that route five minutes after meeting them.

The quivering of his heart was another matter entirely. That wasn't caused by the perfection of their physique or the angle of their hips in their slacks. It was something that had already been building as Kuroo spoke to them, then reinforced when they fell so easily into conversation. Like friends with years of history.

Nope. Absolutely not. He was not going down that road. That one little message he'd sent to Kenma after seeing Oikawa's selfie had immediately scared the shit out of him so much he'd suppressed the idea without a second thought.

With it even making a peeking appearance, Kuroo needed a distraction. He couldn't think about this, not when he was seeing Oikawa again in less than an hour.

Needing a way to pass the time, Kuroo whipped out his phone and texted Kenma.

 

**[CatDad]**

[13:09] **CatDad:** Heyyyy KP :)

_[13:09] **KittenPie:** Hello_

_[13:09] **KittenPie:** Are you okay?_

[13:09] **CatDad:** Yeah! I’m fine, why???

_[13:10] **KittenPie:** I thought you were meeting your friend_

[13:10] **CatDad:** I am!

[13:11] **CatDad:** They were working so I’m waiting at a tea shop until they finish :)

_[13:11] **KittenPie:** Oh_

_[13:11] **KittenPie:** Did it go well?_

[13:11] **CatDad:** YES

[13:12] **CatDad:** KITTENPIE

[13:12] **CatDad:** I literally cannot describe the aesthetic perfection that is this person I just met

_[13:13] **KittenPie:** That’s good. I’m glad you enjoyed your meeting_

[13:13] **CatDad:** Kittteeennnnpieeeee

_[13:16] **KittenPie:** What?_

[13:16] **CatDad:** That’s all I get DX

_[13:18] **KittenPie:** What else do you want?_

[13:18] **CatDad:** Some excitement????? Or maybe even a sliver of emotion????

_[13:19] **KittenPie:** I told you I was happy for you_

[13:19] **CatDad:** You know

[13:20] **CatDad:** For someone who lives on their phone you’re probably the worst texter I’ve ever met -_-

_[13:22] **KittenPie:** Why do you insist on texting me all the time then?_

[13:22] **CatDad:** Because I love you and I like talking to you damn

[13:22] **CatDad:** Ouch

_[13:23] **KittenPie:** I love you too but I see you almost every day_

_[13:23] **KittenPie:** Texting is boring_

[13:24] **CatDad:** Not when you’re good at it!!! :D

_[13:27] **KittenPie:** Text someone who’s good at it then_

[13:28] **CatDad:** You’re being like extra cold today are you okay

_[13:29] **KittenPie:** I’m with Shoyou_

[13:29] **CatDad:** Oooooooohhhhh yeah? ;)

[13:32] **CatDad:** Watcha doin

_[13:33] **KittenPie:** Well. We were kissing before you started texting me_

[13:33] **CatDad:** Well you can kiss them after my existential crisis

_[13:34] **KittenPie:** Why are you having an existential crisis?_

[13:35] **CatDad:** Because they’re so beautiful I don’t know what to do with myself :O

_[13:35] **KittenPie:** Look at them?_

[13:35] **CatDad:** You couldn’t be worse at giving advice -_-

_[13:36] **KittenPie:** I’m going to go back to kissing Shoyou now_

_[13:36] **KittenPie:** Please don’t bother me unless it’s important_

[13:37] **CatDad:** BROS BEFORE HOES KENMA

[13:37] **CatDad:** :( Fine have fun kissing your partner

 

[13:37] **CatDad:** Bo

[13:37] **CatDad:** I met them

[13:37] **CatDad:** I met the beautiful person

_[13:38] **BigHoot:** YESSSSSSSS GOOD SHIT_

_[13:38] **BigHoot:** How was it??? :O_

[13:39] **CatDad:** Literally so good like

[13:40] **CatDad:** They’re stunninggggggg

_[13:40] **BigHoot:** That’s so fucking great Tetsu I’m so happy :D :D :D_

_[13:41] **BigHoot:** Does that mean you’re finally back in the game??? :O_

[13:41] **CatDad:** Noooooooo no no no

[13:42] **CatDad:** We’re just friends

[13:43] **CatDad:** I literally just met them and now we’re getting tea at 2 and we’re going to talk as friends

_[13:45] **BigHoot:** Do you not like them or something????_

[13:45] **CatDad:** Bokuto come on you know why

_[13:46] **BigHoot:** But you were like…into it yesterday_

_[13:46] **BigHoot:** I thought we made a breakthrough_

[13:47] **CatDad:** Yeah well

[13:48] **CatDad:** After that conversation I might have had a mild panic attack and then threw up a little so

[13:48] **CatDad:** It’s gonna be a no-go on the breakthrough

_[13:49] **BigHoot:** I’m gonna go ahead and say that’s stupid but whatever :P_

[13:50] **CatDad:** Duuudddeeee I didn’t text you to get a one-way ticket for this guilt trip

_[13:51] **BigHoot:** Fine fine sorry :P_

_[13:51] **BigHoot:** What are they like tho??? Did you get to talk to them at all?_

[13:52] **CatDad:** They’re basically the same in person as they are over message

[13:53] **CatDad:** But like…even more extra

[13:54] **CatDad:** You know the ~ thing?

_[13:55] **BigHoot:** Omg yes XD_

[13:56] **CatDad:** They’re basically that in human form

_[13:58] **BigHoot:** Oh my goddddd_

_[13:59] **BigHoot:** I feel like that would either be the best or the worst thing on the planet_

[14:00] **CatDad:** It’s a combination of really cute and really hilarious

[14:01] **CatDad:** We seem to jam super well???? We only talked for a minute but it was so easy

[14:01] **CatDad:** It didn’t feel like we were just meeting, you know?

_[14:02] **BigHoot:** That’s so great dude like so great :D :D :D_

_[14:03] **BigHoot:** Akaash asked me why I’m smiling like an idiot XD_

[14:04] **CatDad:** Did you tell them it’s because you are an idiot?

_[14:04] **BigHoot:** WHY D:_

[14:05] **CatDad:** ;P

[14:06] **CatDad:** Shit I think I see them I’ll catch you later

_[14:06] **BigHoot:** Later you horrible person :P_

 

Oikawa entered the tea shop with a little gift box. They were still wearing the pale blue button-up from their uniform, but they’d changed out of their dress slacks into a pair of deep purple skinny jeans. Kuroo loved and hated those jeans in that moment because they made Oikawa’s ass, thighs, and calves look phenomenal, but also, they made Oikawa’s ass, thighs, and calves look _phenomenal_. They needed to take it down a notch unless they wanted to give Kuroo a heart-attack.

Oikawa flashed him the peace sign as they waited for their drink. They stuck their tongue out like they had in their photo, a little cute “blep” of pink against their pale skin. Kuroo couldn’t help the little skip of his heart as he looked at them, the way the world stopped turning for a fraction of a second so he could file the image away in his mind for later.

Which was a perfectly normal, platonic thing for him to do of course.

Kuroo stuck his tongue out in return, pulling at his eyelid and screwing up his face. Oikawa tipped their head back and laughed. Kuroo couldn’t hear them over the din in the tea shop, but he just knew from the way Oikawa’s whole body moved that it was the kind of laugh that could ruin him.

Oikawa took out their phone after that, absorbing themselves in their screen as they waited. Kuroo’s eyes drifted, watching the other patrons, taking in the room that could have been stuffy but instead felt intimate and warm. He didn’t want to stare, but he found it difficult not to let his gaze wander back to Oikawa.

The way they made him feel was...it should have been nice. It was a feeling most people sought after. Kuroo knew himself lucky to be feeling it at all.

But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to like Oikawa as much as he did. It would be so much easier, simpler, if those teases landed on him like Bokuto’s did—like lighthearted jabs to his ego rather than tugs on his heartstrings. He wanted to survey Oikawa’s beauty like he did with Akaashi. To look but not want to touch. He wanted to be anticipating Oikawa’s presence at his table like Kenma, where conversation would be an easy pleasure and not an intoxicant to his system.

He just had to keep his cool. Keep everything nice and casual. He had no idea if Oikawa even returned these stupid, betraying feelings anyway so if he could just ignore them, he was sure they’d fall into an effortless friendship.

Just because he felt a certain way didn’t mean he had to pursue those feelings. It helped him relax and not feel like he was suffocating with fear.

Kuroo’s oolong came around the same time that Oikawa joined him on the pouf across the table. Kuroo’s heart accelerated again, but he tried to ignore it by smelling his tea instead.

“Mmmm,” he hummed pleasantly.

“What did you get?” Oikawa asked cheerfully, setting the gift box to the side.

“Some sort of fruity oolong. Passion fruit I think? Here.” Kuroo opened the lid of his pot and leaned it in Oikawa’s direction.

“You can’t remember what you ordered?” they teased, but they leaned across the table to smell it anyway.

Kuroo probably could have helped them a little more, reached a little further, but as Oikawa leaned over the table the smell of the oolong was replaced by a much more pleasant smell; the smell of baked bread and sugar cookies and something a little fruity—peaches maybe?

“Mmmm,” Oikawa hummed agreeably, eyes squinting shut as they inhaled deep. “That does smell good.”

Kuroo shouldn’t have been disappointed when Oikawa settled back into their seat, leaving him with the less satisfactory aroma of tea in his nose. He immediately shrugged off the urge to lean forward himself and smell Oikawa again (because that was weird as fuck). Instead, he poured himself some of his tea and tried to relax his face into a lopsided smile.

***

Oikawa was glad that they’d had another hour or so to get their shit together because _holy hell_. Kuroo was one of those people who was definitely photogenic but somehow even more attractive in person.

It was his eyes, partially. They were almost black, so no one could expect a camera to capture the russet undertones, the way that they sparkled darkly with warmth and emotion he didn’t care to hide. They crinkled up at the corners when he laughed or when he smiled. They were just…kind.

His smile was another thing that hadn’t translated in his selfie. There were two distinct smiles that Oikawa had managed to categorize so far. First was the lopsided grin he wore at almost all times. It seemed like this was the natural state of his mouth, the shape in which his lips wanted to rest. It widened occasionally into a teasing smirk, but it was basically the same shape, just a little wider, so Oikawa filed them away together.

The second he’d only caught once so far, but he was definitely going to make sure to coax it out again before this little date-thing was over. It happened when he’d laughed that first time without thinking about it. Oikawa had been surprised that Kuroo didn’t comment on the way they’d actually stopped breathing for a moment. Both corners of Kuroo’s mouth curved upwards, crinkling up his eyes and accentuating those gorgeously high cheekbones. It was like watching a painting come to life for a brief second.

Oikawa wanted to see it again. The goal was to make Kuroo laugh.

“So,” Kuroo asked, like they were continuing a conversation only recently dropped, “how was the last hour of your shift?”

They tried to think of something funny to say, something witty or ridiculous that would get them that wonderful crescent shape from Kuroo’s lips.

“Couldn’t have been more boring to be honest,” Oikawa said with a little shrug.

“No one came in to scream at you?” Kuroo smirked, looking up over his tea.

Only one corner. Damn.

“Nope. Although I’m pretty sure one of our regulars tried to give me her number,” Oikawa said.

Eyebrows raised, the slightest twitch of the other corner of his mouth. Something to work with. This was perfect.

“Yeah? You gonna call her?” he asked, slurping up his tea but keeping his eyes fixed on Oikawa’s face like he was totally absorbed. Or maybe he was just making eye-contact. Oikawa might have been a little hopefully biased.

“Probably not,” Oikawa said, his own lips curling upwards. “She’s 80 years old and just got a hip replacement so. Pretty distinctly not my type.”

Kuroo pushed a snort out of his lips, and Oikawa was almost disappointed, when it happened again: his mouth stretched wide on both sides, nose crinkling and eyes making little half-moons as he laughed out loud.

And that was it.

Oikawa was hooked.

It was a little terrifying how quickly Oikawa could feel themselves falling for this person. Terrifying enough that they were playing with their knuckles, twisting their toes together under the table.

Oikawa didn’t date. They didn’t do romance. They barely did platonic. Whatever was happening inside them for Kuroo was so foreign it sent a chill down their spine.

It might not have mattered anyway. They weren’t really sure what sort of interaction was happening between them. Was it appropriate to flirt when Oikawa wasn’t sure at the moment whether they wanted to kiss or hug or suck Kuroo off?

Probably not. Keep the conversation light. That decision could happen later. Just enjoy him, for now.

“Alright,” Kuroo chuckled when he settled a little. “So apart from getting asked out by someone’s great-grandmother, how was your shift?”

“Hmmm. Well, I kind of alternated between the register and making your treats. Speaking of which!” Oikawa grabbed the box and placed it emphatically in front of Kuroo.

“Oh, thank you,” Kuroo said, cheeks turning the most incredibly adorable shade of pink.

“Of course! It wasn’t a problem. They might not be the best because I had to use some leftover dough, but, they should be good,” Oikawa smiled.

They kind of wanted to see Kuroo’s face when he tried them, but they weren’t going to demand he eat in front of them. People could be weird about those sorts of things. Oikawa definitely deserved Iwa’s horrible nickname, but they weren’t in the business of making people they liked actively uncomfortable.

People it was becoming increasingly clear they were more than just platonically interested in.

“I look forward to it,” Kuroo said, tucking the box into the pocket of his coat. “Have you been baking for a long time?”

“Oh yeah, since I was a toddler,” Oikawa said. “My mom used to let me lick the spoon when she made cookies and that was it for me.”

Kuroo chuckled again. Oikawa’s heart tingled as they watched him. They weren’t able to get lost this time, though, because the annoyingly rude tea person stepped in front of them and blocked their vision. They tried to duck around them, but the waiter bent low to place Oikawa’s pot on the table and completely masked Kuroo’s face from view.

Oikawa frowned loudly. They wanted to see that smile, dammit. They wanted to see it as many times as they could before the day was over.

They tucked their feet up cross-legged on their pouf and tried to keep the frustration off of their face. It was easier when the tea waiter ducked away and Kuroo’s mouth had gone pleasantly crooked again. They liked that look on him too.

Oikawa glared at the waiter anyway as they walked away for stealing those few precious seconds, but they tried not to dwell. They wanted to give Kuroo their entire attention.

“What did you order?” Kuroo asked, leaning forward a little to catch a waft of the steam pouring out of the spout of Oikawa’s pot.

“It’s just a plain green.”

“How basic,” Kuroo said. “I would have expected something, like, super fruity or something from you.”

“Nothing about me is basic, believe me,” Oikawa said very seriously. “And I assure you, I’m fruity enough on my own without the tea.”

“Oh my god.”

Oikawa shrugged and poured themselves a bit of their drink. They sat in a silence that wasn’t at all uncomfortable for a little while. Oikawa listened to the general murmur of conversation around them, the warmth of so many bodies in the room, the cozily compact tea house that made Oikawa feel almost completely relaxed.

Oikawa liked to people-watch. They had a good instinct about people. They liked analyzing the people in front of them to see what they could tell just from watching. So it didn’t bother them when Kuroo’s eyes left them to dance around the room.

They’d already taken in his face enough for their liking, but there was so much more of him to explore. His posture, for instance, was fascinating. He somehow looked relaxed and postured at the same time. His shoulders hung loose, tilting forward slightly like they were draping themselves over his body. He sat with his elbows on his thighs, holding his teacup with both hands.

Kuroo’s hands were incredible. They were strong and defined, steady fingers curled around his cup, everything flexing and relaxing as he tapped the handle with an index finger. Oikawa thought about how those hands seemed to be made for holding, for stroking.

Oikawa should probably continue the conversation before their mind plummeted right into the gutter.

“Tell me more about your childhood, Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa said, tilting their head to the side.

Kuroo’s head snapped back to them and he almost choked on his tea.

“Tetsu-chan? Are you serious?” he sputtered, wiping away a bit of liquid that dribbled down his chin.

Oikawa blinked innocently. “What?”

“You are the _worst_ at giving nicknames, oh my god,” Kuroo said. He was still grinning, though.

“It’s better than Noodle-kawa,” they retorted. “Thank god you can’t do anything like that with my given name.”

“Sounds like a challenge.” Kuroo arched a brow and for the briefest second Oikawa wondered what that expression would look like haloed in the light of their bedroom.

“Please no. I beg you not to,” they said instead with a pout. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

“Right, right. Okay, well, what do you want to know?”

“Oh, anything!” Oikawa said.

 _Everything_.

“Helpful,” Kuroo snorted. He took a long sip of his tea, eyes narrowing in thought, zeroing in intensely on Oikawa’s face.

Oikawa looked away, feeling their cheeks betray them in a flood of pink. They took up their own tea to distract themselves. It was too hot to drink, but they sipped anyway, letting it burn its way down their throat.

What did they want to know about Kuroo? So many things. He felt like the kind of person it took a long time to really know. He was open and friendly, but Oikawa could tell there was a lot hidden behind the snark. A social introvert, as it were.

“Tell me about your interests,” Oikawa finally decided.

Their face was cool enough now that they could glance back at Kuroo. He was just sitting there, leaning with his elbows on his knees, but _dammit_ he made everything inside Oikawa grow warm and twisted.

“My interests?”

“Yes, Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa said with an impatient sniff. “What sorts of things do you like to _do_?”

“Oh,” Kuroo said, sounding surprised. “Oh, well, I play a lot of video games with Kenma. They’re a content tester for a living, so companies ask them to beta their stuff. We get to see things before they get put on the shelves a lot, which is neat.”

“Well that’s a _fascinating_ little anecdote about Kenma,” Oikawa sneered playfully. “But I think I asked what _you_ like to do.”

Kuroo paused to take another sip of tea, brow furrowed. Oikawa sighed pointedly, but Kuroo ignored them. He swirled his finger around the rim of his cup, lips pursing together as he thought.

“I like cooking,” Kuroo said finally.

“Ah,” Oikawa said with a smile. “There we go. What do you like about cooking?”

“It’s really relaxing for me,” Kuroo said. “Figuring out how to get all of the ingredients to work well together, and then getting something delicious after. Hopefully to share with someone else.”

“How romantic,” Oikawa swooned.“Tell me more.” Kuroo kicked under the table at their pouf.

“About cooking?”

“Sure. Or about your interests.”

Kuroo nodded. He downed the rest of his cup and poured another, filling the space between them with the smell of fruit and herbs.

“I feel like you’ll never let me hear the end of it if I tell you what else I like to do,” Kuroo smirked.

“I can make no promises.”

“Thanks,” Kuroo said, rolling his eyes. “I think I usually just watch movies. I like hanging out with my friends a lot. And...I really like puzzles.”

“Puzzles?” Oikawa asked with a tilt of their head. “Like...Rubik’s cube types of puzzles or like, 500-piece picture puzzles?”

“Anything really,” Kuroo said blithely. “I like sudoku a lot. I have a whole book of them at home. And those 3D ones you get at bookstores and things like that are pretty great. Anything that kind of...engages my brain and my hands at the same time.”

“That’s…” _really wonderful and beautiful_ , “really nerdy, Tetsu-chan.”

Kuroo must have caught the affection in Oikawa’s voice, though, because his grin just broadened and he shook his head. “Guess I’m a nerd, then.”

“An elderly nerd,” Oikawa clarified and Kuroo snickered.

“Sure, sure,” he said. “What about you? What sort of high-brow interests do you have?”

They talked for a little while longer, teasing and chatting and joking and losing track of time. Oikawa made it their solemn duty to make Kuroo laugh as much as possible. They were a little hesitant at first, worried that it would be like listening to your favorite song over and over until you never wanted to hear it again. After a while, though, it was clear that Oikawa would never get tired of the music that was Kuroo’s laugh.

Not just his laugh, either. They admired his physical beauty, his sense of fashion, the way his hair stood up in about fifty different directions and still managed to look nice. They liked how plain goofy he was, how he ended up reading them a list of horrible tea puns over an hour into their conversation.

“Tetsu-chan, has anyone ever told you that your sense of humor is shit?” Oikawa giggled as they downed the rest of their tea.

“Yeah? If it’s shit then why are you literally red in the face from laughing so hard?” Kuroo beamed. That smile had been plastered on his face for a while now, and Oikawa had to be careful not to look too long or they fell awkwardly silent.

“I’m embarrassed for you,” they replied, but it was rendered totally unconvincing by another gale of giggles. “Who actually finds puns funny?”

“Obviously you! You’ve been laughing at every one of them, Noodle-kawa.”

“Whatever.”

Kuroo shook his head. Oikawa was about to say something else about his shitty (amazing) sense of humor, when their phone buzzed across the table with a message.

 

_[15:42] **Iwa-chan <3:** Mattsun wants to know if we’re still getting together for a study session this afternoon_

 

Oikawa frowned. They’d totally forgotten about that.

Looking up at Kuroo, whose eyes had left Oikawa’s face in favor of surveying the room (something he seemed keen on doing whenever there was silence), Oikawa was extremely tempted to cancel. Everything about this had been so much better than every messaging conversation they’d had so far combined. Kuroo was someone one could really only experience in person. He was too large to fit into words on an unfeeling screen.

They were halfway through typing out a “sorry I can’t” message to Iwa when Kuroo’s eyes slid back to their face.

“Someone text you?” Kuroo asked curiously.

“Yeah. It’s Iwa-chan. I totally forgot that I promised I’d study with him and his boyfriends tonight,” Oikawa sighed dejectedly.

“Oh, okay,” Kuroo replied.“What time did you say you’d meet them?” Did he sound disappointed or did Oikawa just want him to sound disappointed?

“I didn’t specify but I think they expect me before 4,” Oikawa frowned.

“Shit. You do realize it’s like quarter of, right?” Kuroo said concernedly.

Oikawa shrugged, but Kuroo was probably right. The thought of leaving this spot was almost painful, but they didn’t want to piss off either of Iwa-chan’s boyfriends. They were a vengeful folk.

“I guess. Do you have anything planned after this?” Oikawa asked, stretching their legs out with some unpleasant popping sounds.

“Not particularly. I think I’m meeting some friends for drinks but that won’t be until tonight,” Kuroo replied.

“Wow, you’re actually going out tonight?” Oikawa teased.

“I feel like I need to remind you that I’m not actually an old man,” Kuroo grumbled.

He got to his feet, and Oikawa felt a little flicker of disappointment. They followed suit regardless, stretching the rest of their body and feeling a succession of satisfying cracks.

“You’re the one who _sounds_ old anyway, Jesus,” Kuroo said. “You sound like my friend Bokuto. Every time he moves it’s like listening to a ping-pong ball ricochet around a room.”

“It’s the curse of an athlete,” Oikawa sighed woefully.

“Makes sense. Bokuto’s a dancer.”

“Delightful.”

Kuroo snickered and the two made their way out of the tea shop and back out onto the street. It was somehow warmer than it had been Oikawa got off from work. They felt nice and rosy, like when they stood next to the industrial ovens at the Cherry.

Kuroo and Oikawa turned to face each other. The first awkward silence of the day passed between them, like neither of them were really sure how to end a conversation in real life.

“So.”

“So,” Oikawa said, jabbing their thumb to the right. “I’m going this way.”

“Damn. I’m going the other way,” Kuroo said. “I’ll text you later, though.”

“Make sure you do,” Oikawa winked. Kuroo blushed a little. “I had a lot of fun today, Tetsu-chan. I hope we can get together again soon.”

They took a step forward and for a moment they just stared at one another. All this time it was almost impossible for Oikawa to gauge if Kuroo had been flirting with them as hard as they had with him. Hard because he seemed like someone so naturally open and sweet and goofy.

Kuroo smiled a nice, small smile, both corners of his mouth lifting gently. Oikawa almost, almost leaned forward to kiss him. They could smell his cologne cutting sharp through the cooling November air. They wondered if he still tasted like his tea, or if there would be something else entirely on his tongue. They wanted to know what it felt like to have that smile against their lips.

Kuroo broke eye-contact then, staring down at his feet scuffing at the sidewalk.

“Me too,” Kuroo said, the moment passing and Oikawa’s nerve along with it. “I’ll see you.”

“See you!” Oikawa cheered through the heartbeat pummeling their throat.

It took quite a bit of willpower for Oikawa to turn around in that moment and walk the other direction. They were burning up, feeling about a million different feelings they hadn’t been ready to feel.

They opened their phone and texted Iwaizumi, trying not to think too hard on how close they’d come to actually kissing Kuroo.

 

[ **TooruBelieves]**

[15:52] **TooruBelieves:** Just got done~ I’ll be there soon!!

_[15:52] **Iwa-chan <3:** Cool_

_[15:53] **Iwa-chan <3:** So how did it go?_

[15:53] **TooruBelieves:** :/ :/

_[15:53] **Iwa-chan <3:** Uh oh_

_[15:53] **Iwa-chan <3:** That bad?_

[15:54] **TooruBelieves:** No

[15:54] **TooruBelieves:** Very not bad actually

_[15:55] **Iwa-chan <3:** Yeah?_

[15:55] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah :/

_[15:55] **Iwa-chan <3:** What's wrong then?_

[15:56] **TooruBelieves:** Oh Iwa-chan...

[15:57] **TooruBelieves:** I think I might be in trouble :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to know the origin of the tea place’s name, please search it on urban dictionary I beg you
> 
> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	4. Lost in Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I really enjoyed your company._
> 
> Why did he have to be so genuine all the time? Why couldn’t he be rude just once, send one message that didn’t make Oikawa’s heart do a backflip? 
> 
> Oikawa rolled over onto their side with a groan, burying their face in their hands.
> 
> “Yeah?” Makki said, hand coming to rest on Oikawa’s shoulder. 
> 
> “Yeah,” Oikawa said blandly.

**Sat 19/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[19:47] **Noodle-kawa:** Tetsu-chan~ _

[19:47] **CatDad:** Lol yes Noodle-kawa?

_[19:48] **Noodle-kawa:** I just wanted to say that I had a really fun time today :)_

[19:49] **CatDad:** Me too :)

_[19:50] **Noodle-kawa:** ;) What did you think of me~~ _

[19:51] **CatDad:** Truthfully?

_[19:53] **Noodle-kawa:** Yes!!! :D_

[19:54] **CatDad:** You’re about the same as I expected lol

_[19:57] **Noodle-kawa:**  That’s it :O _

[19:59] **CatDad:** I mean

[20:00] **CatDad:** I really enjoyed your company?

[20:00] **CatDad:** You’re even more extra that’s for sure lol

_[20:02] **Noodle-kawa:** Awwwww Tetsu-chan!!!! :D _

_[20:02] **Noodle-kawa:** I enjoyed your company too :) _

[20:02] **CatDad:** Oh also!!!

_[20:06] **Noodle-kawa:** Yes??? :D _

[20:07] **CatDad:** Your FUCKING HAIR

[20:08] **CatDad:** HOW

[20:08] **CatDad:** HOW DO YOU DO THAT

_[20:11] **Noodle-kawa:** I told you, it’s all natural Tetsu-chan ;) _

[20:12] **CatDad:** BULL

[20:12] **CatDad:** SHIT

_[20:13] **Noodle-kawa:** XD XD XD _

[20:15] **CatDad:** Seriously unless you sleep hanging upside down with wet-ass hair like a bat there’s no way it just happens

_[20:19] **Noodle-kawa:** ;) ;) ;)  _

[20:20] **CatDad:** You’re literally the most ridiculous human I’ve ever met

_[20:21] **Noodle-kawa:** Oops~~_

[20:22] **CatDad:** Noodle :P

[20:25] **CatDad:** What did you think of me?

_[20:31] **Noodle-kawa:** Hmmmmm _

_[20:31] **Noodle-kawa:** You’re okay _

_[20:32] **Noodle-kawa:** XD _

[20:32] **CatDad:** :C

_[20:33] **Noodle-kawa:** I’m so totally kidding lol _

_[20:33] **Noodle-kawa:** You’re definitely way more of a dork that’s for sure XD _

[20:34] **CatDad:** Awwww come on I’m not that dorky

_[20:36] **Noodle-kawa:** Nah you’re pretty much the dorkiest person I’ve ever met _

[20:37] **CatDad:** Really :(

_[20:40] **Noodle-kawa:** The. Dorkiest. _

_[20:40] **Noodle-kawa:** But it’s really great :) _

[20:40] **CatDad:** Yeah?

_[20:42] **Noodle-kawa:** Yeah it’s funny and cute and I liked it :) :) _

[20:43] **CatDad:** Okay I feel better then lol  

[20:43] **CatDad:** Well I’m about to head out with some friends but we’ll chat later?

_[20:47] **Noodle-kawa:** Yes of course! _

_[20:47] **Noodle-kawa:** Have fun!! _

[20:48] **CatDad:** Have fun studying :)

Oikawa was strung out on Iwaizumi’s comically large bed, brain completely dead from studying. Their head rested in Hanamaki’s lap, Matsukawa on his side beside them, Iwaizumi sitting at his desk rocking his chair. They stared blankly at the ceiling, absorbing nothing, lost in their own thoughts. Really only one thought.  

A lopsided smile turning up at both corners, crinkling up dark brown eyes under a mess of black hair.  

After nearly five hours of studying, there was nothing left in their head but Kuroo and they were frustrated. They thought texting him would help get their mind off of him, but the only thing it did was get his texts stuck in their head.

_I really enjoyed your company._

Why did he have to be so genuine all the time? Why couldn’t he be rude just once, send one message that didn’t make Oikawa’s heart do a backflip?  

Oikawa rolled over onto their side with a groan, burying their face in their hands.

“Yeah?” Makki said, hand coming to rest on Oikawa’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Oikawa said blandly.  

“I think we’re about done here,” Mattsun said with a sigh. He sat up, stretching his arms high above his head and cracking his neck.

“I hate it when you do that,” Iwaizumi grumbled, snapping his book shut. “I swear to god one day you’re going to slip a disc.”

“Well, it’s good you’re gonna be a doctor then, so you can fix me right up,” Mattsun grinned. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and mumbled something about “completely illegal”.

"Do we wanna watch a movie or something? I think Tooru's brain has officially dissolved," Makki snickered, drumming his fingers on Oikawa's shoulder. Mattsun nodded in agreement, and Oikawa just shrugged, curling a little further in on themselves in Makki’s lap.

"Or we could go to bed," Iwaizumi suggested.

"It's literally not even nine thirty," Makki said, moving to stroke little figure-eights on Oikawa’s arms.

Iwaizumi just shrugged. "Who cares? I'm fucking tired."

Oikawa chuckled to themselves because this sounded like a conversation they’d had with Kuroo every night since they first started talking. It turned sour in their mouth, though, because they couldn't stop thinking about him and it was really, _really_ irritating at this point.

"We're dating an elderly person," Mattsun mused with a snicker.

“God, I wish I was dating an elderly person,” Oikawa said without thinking.

Three pairs of eyes were on Oikawa immediately. Makki’s hand froze mid-pattern and Mattsun leaned away from the two of them against the wall. All four legs of Iwa’s chair hit the floor with a clatter and Oikawa turned into a flaming mess with their face buried in their hands again.

“Uh… What?” Makki asked, sounding baffled and more than a little disturbed. “Listen, Tooru, I know I should be the last person in this room kinkshaming you but—”

“That is absolutely not what I meant,” Oikawa interrupted sharply.

They pushed themselves upright, face still on fire and pouting at Mattsun and Makki who were both looking at them with their stupid pierced eyebrows raised. Oikawa loved them dearly, but they were downright _devils_ sometimes, and the last thing they needed to do was give the two of them any more reason to raise hell.

“How the hell did you mean it then?” Iwaizumi cut in, his brows furrowed. “What’s—why are you two laughing?”

Mattsun and Makki made eye-contact with each other and snickered to each other as Iwaizumi’s face dissolved into sheer confusion and irritation. They laced their fingers together on the bedspread and turned back to Oikawa with knowing eyes.

“Assikawa is talking about their little crush, methinks,” Mattsun chuckled.

“No,” Oikawa said emphatically.

“Then I’m going to be pretty concerned about this elderly person you want to date,” Mattsun shot back. Makki actually cackled this time and Oikawa elbowed him in the ribs with a look that could kill a man. Makki just laughed even harder.

“No.”

“Come onnnnnn Tooru,” Makki whined. “You barely told us anything about your date today.”

“Well, Makkun, that’s because it wasn’t a date,” Oikawa snapped. “It was a friendly meeting between two digital acquaintances.”

Mattsun and Makki both raised their eyebrows again. Oikawa couldn’t blame them, regardless of how much those smug little grins they wore made them want to scream into a pillow. Oikawa couldn’t blame them because they weren’t _wrong_ about Oikawa’s feelings.

Which is exactly why they didn’t want to talk about this with them.

Oikawa had texted Iwaizumi right after their date/hangout/whatever, giddy but a little frustrated and not at all in the mood for Iwa’s two demon boyfriends to give them grief.

 

[15:57] **TooruBelieves:** I think I might be in trouble :(

_[15:58] **Iwa-chan <3:** Oh god why are you in trouble_

_[15:58] **Iwa-chan <3:** Did he turn out to be a serial killer_

[15:59] **TooruBelieves:** Omg Iwa-chan stop with the serial killer thing XD

[15:59] **Iwa-chan <3:** _What happened?_

[15:59] **TooruBelieves:** I think

[16:00] **TooruBelieves:** Fuccckkkkkkk :( :(

_[16:01] **Iwa-chan <3:** What???_

_[16:02] **Iwa-chan <3:** I’m actually kind of worried what happened_

_[16:02] **Iwa-chan <3:** Did he do something weird?_

_[16:02] **Iwa-chan <3:** I can beat the shit out of him you know I can and I will_

[16:03] **TooruBelieves:** Nonononono please don’t do that DX

[16:04] **TooruBelieves:** I think I like him Iwa-chan :( :( :( :(

_[16:04] **Iwa-chan <3:** That’s...good, isn’t it??_

[16:05] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t know

[16:07] **TooruBelieves:** I need time to think about this :/

_[16:07] **Iwa-chan <3:** That’s fine_

[16:08] **TooruBelieves:** Please don’t tell Mattsun and Makki I will literally never hear the end of it

_[16:08] **Iwa-chan <3:** Okay I won’t_

[16:09] **TooruBelieves:** Thanks  <3 Be there soon!!

 

And Iwaizumi hadn’t told them. Not about the crush, at least. They knew about everything else happening with Kuroo because they were both nosy as hell and liked nothing more than material to tease Oikawa ruthlessly with.

“Okay, fine, it wasn’t a date,” Mattsun relented with an eyeroll. “Regardless, I have literally _never_ seen you look at your phone like that. Even when you’ve been in relationships.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Oikawa sniffed.

“Oh? Would you like a demonstration?” Makki grinned, pulling out his phone and pursing his lips like he was going to make out with it.

“I would not,” Oikawa frowned deeply. Makki cackled, Mattsun snickered, Iwaizumi shrugged apologetically, and Oikawa suffered. They groaned and fell back onto the bed with their face smashed into a pillow.

They didn’t want to think about Kuroo anymore. Well, they _did_ , because thinking about Kuroo made the most amazing bubbly warmth rise up in their chest. But that was also why they _didn’t_ want to think about Kuroo anymore.

Oikawa didn’t do warm and bubbly. They did hot and fierce. They did disgusting bar bathrooms, knowing more about the the size and shape of someone’s naval than the features of their face. They did one-night stands at someone else’s apartment so the other person wouldn’t know where they lived. They did make-out sessions in a dark, pulsing club where they could disappear whenever they pleased. They did moments in time, orgasms and teeth and need, where the most intimate thing they could do was grip someone’s hip and swallow. No names. No numbers.

Definitely no _feelings_.

“I hate this.”

“Yeah?” Oikawa heard Makki ask. His hands were on Oikawa’s shoulder again, dragging almond-shaped acrylics gently over their shirt.

“Yes,” Oikawa mumbled. “Who decided crushes were a good idea?”

“So it is a crush!” Makki jeered.

“Unfortunately.”

Makki was snickering again, and Mattsun was chuckling in a low rumble. Oikawa rolled over and glared at both of them but neither paid them any mind.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Iwaizumi offered helpfully, trying to mediate between his partners and the tormented Oikawa.

“Not in the slightest,” Oikawa said, but it didn’t matter. Makki and Mattsun didn’t even seem to be listening to either of them anymore.

“When was the last time Tooru actually had a crush?” Makki snickered, leaning back on his hands and cocking his head to the side.

“Probably not since Tobio-chan,” Mattsun offered helpfully, mirroring Makki’s pose.

“Tobio-chan!” Makki jeered with a howl. “Oh my god I forgot about that little shit.”

“You know, this isn’t helpful like…at all,” Oikawa said. “I really don’t know what to do about this.”

“Assikawa, you know what we’re gonna tell you,” Mattsun replied with a shrug.

“‘Just fucking go for it’, or something equally unhelpful. Yeah. I know.”

Mattsun just shrugged again.

“Okay, I think we’ve tortured them enough over this,” Iwaizumi interrupted before either of them could say anything else. “Didn’t you mention watching a movie?”

That seemed to work, thank god. Makki immediately perked up, patting Oikawa on the back before leaping off the bed toward the bookshelf where they kept their DVDs. At least they could be easily distracted.

“I thought the old man in the room was going to bed,” Mattsun teased, laying back against the pillows at the head of the bed.

“I’m twenty-two you little shit,” Iwaizumi grumbled. He got up with a scowl from his chair and settled on the other side of Oikawa to make a little Tooru sandwich. He winked at Oikawa who mouthed “thank you” before settling back beside Mattsun.

They ended up watching _Ponyo_ of all things (the intimidating and standoffish Mattsun was actually absolutely weak for that “adorable little kid shit” as Makki liked to put it). Iwaizumi was asleep within less than ten minutes, curled into Makki’s shoulder and snoring.

Oikawa was trying really hard not to think about Kuroo, like they had been all night. Of course the more they tried not to think about Kuroo, the more they fixated on him. The way he made them laugh so easily. The way he so unashamedly liked the most nerdy, dorky things on the planet. The way he’d seemed so at ease yet so invested in their conversation. The way his eyes were always searching, analyzing, taking everything in.

They couldn’t take it anymore. They needed to talk to someone about all of this stupidity and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Mattsun and Makki.

Shuffling up a bit against the pillows so they wouldn’t distract anyone with the light from their phone, Oikawa texted the only person they could really discuss matters of the heart with.

 

[21:40] **TooruBelieves:** Suuuugggggaaaaaaa

[21:43] **TooruBelieves:** Kooouuuussshhhhiiiiii

[21:49] **TooruBelieves:** Baaaabbbbbyyyyy

_[21:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** Yes, Tooru? ;) ;) ;) _

[21:50] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my god what’s with the winky face  

_[21:51] **PrincessRefreshing:** You interrupted something important so now I’m going to make you uncomfortable ;) ;) ;P _

[21:52] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t think it’s possible for you to make me uncomfortable anymore

_[21:52] **PrincessRefreshing:** Oh yeah? ;P _

_[21:53] **PrincessRefreshing:** Then I guess I’ll just have to get back to fucking Daichi until my cum dribbles down his thighs~~ _

[21:54] **TooruBelieves:** See, that makes me uncomfortable because it’s fucking disgusting  

_[21:54] **PrincessRefreshing:** ;P ;P ;P  _

[21:54] **TooruBelieves:** Fucking

[21:55] **TooruBelieves:** Finish banging your gross life partner and then text me back I’m having a crisis

_[21:55] **PrincessRefreshing:** When are you ever not having a crisis XD _

_[21:55] **PrincessRefreshing:** Brb _

_[22:37] **PrincessRefreshing:** K I’m back _

[22:37] **TooruBelieves:** That took forever omg what were you two doing to each other XD

[22:37] **TooruBelieves:** Nvm don’t answer that

_[22:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** Let’s just say… _

[22:38] **TooruBelieves:** No

_[22:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** That... _

[22:38] **TooruBelieves:** NO

_[22:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** Daichi might be in a coma now :D _

[22:39] **TooruBelieves:** Christ

[22:39] **TooruBelieves:** Okay that wasn’t horrible, can we move on now?

_[22:39] **PrincessRefreshing:** :D :D  _

_[22:40] **PrincessRefreshing:** Sure lol what’s up Tooru bby _

[22:41] **TooruBelieves:** I met him today. The guy I accidentally texted? The super hot one?

_[22:42] **PrincessRefreshing:** OMG TOORU WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME _

_[22:42] **PrincessRefreshing:** AHHH THAT’S PERFECT OH MY GOD _

_[22:42] **PrincessRefreshing:** Please tell me everything :O _

_[22:42] **PrincessRefreshing:** Unless he was an asshole _

_[22:43] **PrincessRefreshing:** Oh god please don’t tell me he’s an asshole I’ll kill him _

[22:44] **TooruBelieves:** Omg no Suga he’s not an asshole XD

[22:44] **TooruBelieves:** Well, okay, he’s a little bit of an asshole but not in a bad way

[22:45] **TooruBelieves:** It was actually really good  

_[22:45] **PrincessRefreshing:** YESSSSS FUCKING _

_[22:46] **PrincessRefreshing:** I’M SCREAMING RN  _

_[22:47] **PrincessRefreshing:** All the details Tooru all the details :D :D _

[22:48] **TooruBelieves:** Well okay so he visited me at work but I couldn’t talk long so then we went to go get tea and then we just like…talked. For like two hours almost

[22:49] **TooruBelieves:** Idk it was so good I don’t know if I’ve ever clicked with someone that well before in my life

_[22:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** Omggggggg I’m actually screaming I think I disturbed Daichi a little????_

_[22:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** Lol nvm he’s just talking in his sleep XD_

[22:51] **TooruBelieves:** Cute? I guess?

_[22:52] **PrincessRefreshing:** Sorry sorry I’m just so excited :D_

_[22:52] **PrincessRefreshing:** What was he like???_

[22:53] **TooruBelieves:** He was... ughhhhhhh

[22:54] **TooruBelieves:** He was fucking amazing Suga :(

_[22:54] **PrincessRefreshing:** Isn’t that a good thing???? Why the frowny face???_

[22:55] **TooruBelieves:** Suga

[22:55] **TooruBelieves:** He was /amazing/

_[22:56] **PrincessRefreshing:** And…..?????_

[22:57] **TooruBelieves:** SUGA

[22:57] **TooruBelieves:** AMAZING

[22:57] **TooruBelieves:** WHO THE FUCK DO I SAY THAT ABOUT

_[22:58] **PrincessRefreshing:** ???????_

_[22:59] **PrincessRefreshing:** Wait_

_[22:59] **PrincessRefreshing:** WAIT_

_[22:59] **PrincessRefreshing:** OMG TOORU_

_[22:59] **PrincessRefreshing:** YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM DON’T YOU_

_[22:59] **PrincessRefreshing:** DON’T YOU?????? :D_

[23:00] **TooruBelieves:** :( :( :( :(

[23:01] **TooruBelieves:** Yes DX

_[23:02] **PrincessRefreshing:** Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodddddddd_

_[23:02] **PrincessRefreshing:** This is the best news I’ve heard like maybe all year_

[23:03] **TooruBelieves:** No, Suga, this isn’t a good thing

_[23:03] **PrincessRefreshing:** Why the fuck not????_

[23:04] **TooruBelieves:** Suga who was the last person you can remember me dating

_[23:04] **PrincessRefreshing:** Uh…_

_[23:05] **PrincessRefreshing:** Me I think??? Like four years ago???_

_[23:06] **PrincessRefreshing:** Wait no, you dated that Kageyama kid for a minute last year_

_[23:06] **PrincessRefreshing:** But he was way more like a fuck buddy than a boyfriend :P_

[23:07] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah, exactly

[23:08] **TooruBelieves:** You two have been my only fucking relationships

_[23:09] **PrincessRefreshing:** Not true, you dated that one guy our first year of high school_

[23:09] **TooruBelieves:** OH MY GOD DON’T REMIND ME OF SUGURU-CHAN EVER

_[23:11] **PrincessRefreshing:** Lololololol XD XD_

[23:12] **TooruBelieves:** But okay you were the longest I’ve had and we dated for what? Like 5 months maybe????

_[23:12] **PrincessRefreshing:**  If that XD_

_[23:13] **PrincessRefreshing:** What’s your point???_

[23:14] **TooruBelieves:** I literally

[23:14] **TooruBelieves:** Do not date

[23:15] **TooruBelieves:** Like basically as a rule????

[23:15] **TooruBelieves:**  Feelings and I are a horrible, horrible pair Suga

_[23:16] **PrincessRefreshing:** That’s not totally true, I enjoyed our time together_

_[23:16] **PrincessRefreshing:** Mostly lol_

[23:17] **TooruBelieves:** Suga you broke up with me because you said I was, and I quote, “an emotionally distant disaster”

_[23:19] **PrincessRefreshing:** Well /yes/, but we were also 17 Tooru_

_[23:20] **PrincessRefreshing:** You’ve grown since then _

_[23:20] **PrincessRefreshing:** Maybe not, like, vertically. But you know. Emotionally_

[23:21] **TooruBelieves:** Pretty sure all I’ve done is shriveled down into a cold, emotionless blob

_[23:22] **PrincessRefreshing:** I can say with full confidence that isn’t true_

_[23:23] **PrincessRefreshing:** Maybe with relationships you aren’t the best but you’re a much better friend now_

_[23:24] **PrincessRefreshing:** We talk about feelings all the time. And you can even do it with Hajime_

_[23:24] **PrincessRefreshing:** So give yourself a little bit of credit  <3_

[23:25] **TooruBelieves:** I guess

[23:26] **TooruBelieves:** But I don’t knowwwww

[23:26] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t know what I want :(

_[23:27] **PrincessRefreshing:** That’s okay  <3_

_[23:27] **PrincessRefreshing:** It isn’t like you have to decide that right now_

[23:28] **TooruBelieves:** But I’m impatientttttt :(

[23:29] **TooruBelieves:** You know me, I don’t like not knowing what I’m going to do

_[23:29] **PrincessRefreshing:** Okay then XD Do you want to talk it out then???_

[23:30] **TooruBelieves:** Yes please :D

_[23:32] **PrincessRefreshing:** Lol okay so you like this guy but you don’t know what you want to do about it because relationships aren’t your thing? Is that pretty accurate?_

[23:33] **TooruBelieves:** That’s about how it adds up, yep

_[23:35] **PrincessRefreshing:** Okay well...who says it has to be a relationship?_

_[23:36] **PrincessRefreshing:** Like, who says you can’t just do your thing or whatever?_

[23:37] **TooruBelieves:** What lol

_[23:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** Like, you don’t have to dive right into something serious _

_[23:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** You can take it slow with him :)_

[23:39] **TooruBelieves:** Ughhhh I dunno

[23:41] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t like the idea of like...not knowing how he feels, you know? But I also really don’t want to ask and ruin everything like

[23:42] **TooruBelieves:** I’d rather have him as a friend than not at all

_[23:43] **PrincessRefreshing:** That’s why I’m saying take it slow_

_[23:43] **PrincessRefreshing:** Flirt with him, see how he reacts_

_[23:44] **PrincessRefreshing:** /Court/ him Tooru_

[23:45] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my god Koushi XD

_[23:45] **PrincessRefreshing:** I’m serious!!! _

_[23:46] **PrincessRefreshing:** You just met him really, you don’t have to immediately go out and date him and everything just because you like him_

[23:47] **TooruBelieves:** But Sugaaaaaa

[23:47] **TooruBelieves:** I hate not knowing stuff :(

[23:48] **TooruBelieves:** Like I don’t want to waste time and energy if he doesn’t feel the same way

_[23:49] **PrincessRefreshing:** Is it a waste of time if you enjoy his company?_

_[23:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** Even if you don’t end up dating him, I don’t think it’s a waste if you genuinely enjoy being around him_

_[23:51] **PrincessRefreshing:** Because you can still end up being friends_

_[23:52] **PrincessRefreshing:** And imagine how good it’ll be if he does feel the same way  <3_

[23:54] **TooruBelieves:** But I’m seriously a mess like

[23:54] **TooruBelieves:** I’m not a great person to date

_[23:55] **PrincessRefreshing:** I don’t think that’s necessarily accurate_

_[23:57] **PrincessRefreshing:** You and him click really well don’t you? Just because you weren’t great at dating me or Kageyama or Daishou doesn’t mean you aren’t good at dating anyone_

_[23:58] **PrincessRefreshing:** Iwa is shit with feelings but he found a fit with Matsukawa and Hanamaki, didn’t he?_

_[23:58] **PrincessRefreshing:** Maybe he’s your fit :) :)_

[23:59] **TooruBelieves:** That’s... really wise but also hella terrifying

[23:59] **TooruBelieves:** Idk Suga I’m nervous about this :( :(

_[00:00] **PrincessRefreshing:** That’s okay! Being nervous means you’re taking it seriously and that you care :)_

[00:00] **TooruBelieves:** I suppose

_[00:01] **PrincessRefreshing:** You can do this!!! Just start slow and go from there :)_

[00:01] **TooruBelieves:** Okay

[00:02] **TooruBelieves:** What does starting slow look like???

[00:02] **TooruBelieves:**  Because like to me that's a handjob but I feel like that isn't entirely applicable here

_[00:03] **PrincessRefreshing:** My god XD yeah that isn't really appropriate for this situation_

[00:03] **TooruBelieves:** Lol then what

_[00:03] **PrincessRefreshing:** Hmmmmm_

_[00:06] **PrincessRefreshing:** I’d go out and do something chill. Maybe tea or coffee? Ice cream even _

[00:06] **TooruBelieves:** Ooooo ice cream is a great idea!

_[00:07] **PrincessRefreshing:** Friends get ice cream together all the time so it shouldn't be awkward or anything!!! _

[00:07] **TooruBelieves:** I know a cute place near campus we can try!

[00:08] **TooruBelieves:** I think I can do this :)

[00:08] **TooruBelieves:** Thank you Suga :)

[00:09] **TooruBelieves:** I’ll probably be bugging you a lot for advice XD

_[00:09] **PrincessRefreshing:** What’s new? Lol_

[00:10] **TooruBelieves:** <3 <3 <3 Love you

_[00:11] **PrincessRefreshing:** Love you  <3_

 

By the time Oikawa was finished texting with Suga, they were halfway through _The Cat Returns_. All four of them had made their way under the blankets, and it was warm with their body heat but not at all uncomfortable. Iwaizumi was sound asleep, but his boyfriends were still wide awake and watching. Oikawa had sunk down deep into the nest between Iwaizumi and Mattsun’s shoulders, feeling much better and more than ready to sleep.

They yawned, eyes drifting closed and relaxing fully into their pillows.

Before they could really get comfortable, though, there was a hand jabbing them gently in the ribs.

“What?” they grumbled quietly without bothering to open their eyes.

“Hey, Tooru,” Mattsun whispered, shuffling down to ear-level with Oikawa. “I just wanted to say—and Makki thinks so too—that we’re sorry for being assholes earlier with this whole crush situation.”

Oikawa was honestly a little touched. These two never seemed to be bothered by how much they teased Oikawa, even when they were pouting so deeply their lower lip threatened to consume their face.

“You’re fine,” Oikawa assured with a little smile. “I know it’s out of affection. Or something.”

“Yeah, but like...this is really big for you and we shouldn’t have been such fuckwads about it,” Mattsun said seriously. Oikawa snorted quietly and blinked their eyes open to look at Mattsun. There was some actual, genuine remorse in those dark eyes of his.

“You’re fine, Mattsun,” Oikawa said again. “I appreciate it but really. You’re fine.”

Mattsun nodded, looking a little reassured. He even smiled a little. Mattsun had a really nice smile, one that barely touched the left corner of his mouth but reached all the way up to soften the darkness of his eyes.

"Are you gonna go for this guy, do you think?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Oikawa said honestly. “I think...I think I’m going to try.”

Mattsun’s smile spread up to dimple his cheeks. “That’s great.”

“Yeah,” Oikawa agreed. “Yeah, it is.”

Mattsun didn’t say anything more after that. He rolled back over and scooted back up to watch the rest of the movie, reaching across the tops of the pillows to hold hands with Makki.

Oikawa sighed and snuggled themselves under the comforter, pulling it right up below their nose. They felt safe and warm, decisive and happy and ready for whatever the hell they’d decided to get themselves into.

No matter what happened anyway, they’d always have this to come back to. Mattsun and Makki might have been devils, but they were Iwaizumi’s devils, and Oikawa loved them to death. They wouldn’t trade either of them for the world.

 

**Sun 20/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[10:17] **BigHoot:** Hey!!! How you doing this morning lol_

[10:18] **CatDad:** I await the cold embrace of the grave

_[10:18] **BigHoot:** Oh my God XD that hungover? _

[10:18] **CatDad:** -_-

_[10:19] **BigHoot:** Good god_

_[10:20] **BigHoot:** Well no offense dude but that's what happens when you do fucking whiskey shots everywhere we go_

_[10:21] **BigHoot:** Who the hell drinks whiskey under the age of 50???_

[10:22] **CatDad:** Me

[10:22] **CatDad:** I like browns

[10:22] **CatDad:** Be nice to me

_[10:23] **BigHoot:** Lol fine fine_

_[10:25] **BigHoot:** Also! _

_[10:26] **BigHoot:** I wanted to ask how you're doing??? You seemed a little off last night_

[10:27] **CatDad:** Oh I'm fine

_[10:27] **BigHoot:** Why are you lying to your best friend? _

[10:28] **CatDad:** I'm not lying to Kenma

_[10:28] **BigHoot:** Damn ouch_

[10:28] **CatDad:** ;)

[10:29] **CatDad:** No but seriously I'm fine

_[10:29] **BigHoot:** Okay…_

_[10:30] **BigHoot:** Did something happen on your date? I thought it went really well_

[10:31] **CatDad:** I s2g Bo stop calling it a date

[10:31] **CatDad:** And yes it went fine. Good. Great. I had a really nice time

_[10:32] **BigHoot:** That's super great!!! :D_

_[10:33] **BigHoot:** You still seemed off tho_

[10:34] **CatDad:** I'm fine, Bo really

_[10:35] **BigHoot:** You're lyyiinnngggg_

_[10:35] **BigHoot:** Which isn't nice :(_

[10:36] **CatDad:** I'm FINE

[10:37] **CatDad:** I'm getting significantly less fine the more you ask me tho

_[10:37] **BigHoot:** I feel like if you have to yell at me you're shoving_

[10:37] **CatDad:** XP

[10:38] **CatDad:** It's nothing

_[10:39] **BigHoot:** So there is something wrong!!! _

_[10:39] **BigHoot:** I knew it!!! _

[10:39] **CatDad:** -_-

[10:40] **CatDad:** I don't want to talk about it okay?

[10:40] **CatDad:** Can you please drop it?

_[10:41] **BigHoot:** Ugh finnneeee_

_[10:41] **BigHoot:** But only cuz I have to go to the gym_

_[10:42] **BigHoot:** To be continued!! _

[10:44] **CatDad:** -_- -_-

 

_[10:53] **KittenPie:** Are you okay? _

_[10:53] **KittenPie:** Koutarou said you refuse to talk to him_

[10:54] **CatDad:** Oh my goddddd why is everyone riding my dick today

_[10:54] **Kittenpie:** Ew_

[10:56] **CatDad:** :/ sorry

_[10:57] **KittenPie:** It's fine_

_[10:58] **KittenPie:** What's wrong? _

[10:59] **CatDad:** I realllyyy don't want to talk about it KP, okay?

_[10:59] **KittenPie:** Okay_

_[11:00] **KittenPie:** He’s just worried about you_

[11:00] **CatDad:** I know I know and I promise I’ll tell you but not right now

[11:01] **CatDad:** I'll tell you later I promise I just need some time to think

_[11:01] **KittenPie:** Okay_

_[11:02] **KittenPie:** Would you be more comfortable talking in person?_

[11:02] **CatDad:** Probably lol

_[11:02] **KittenPie:** We can invite Koutarou and Keiji over_

[11:04] **CatDad:** That sounds like a good idea

[11:05] **CatDad:** Maybe tonight tho? I’m hungover as fuck right now

_[11:06] **KittenPie:** Did you drink too much last night?_

[11:06] **CatDad:** Maybe a little lol

[11:06] **CatDad:** I just had a shit ton of whiskey XD

_[11:07] **KittenPie:** Gross_

[11:07] **CatDad:** You think everything is gross KP

_[11:08] **KittenPie:** So?_

[11:08] **CatDad:** Lol

_[11:10] **KittenPie:** Keiji said they’ll both  come over_

[11:10] **CatDad:** Awesome :)

_[11:11] **KittenPie:** You have to promise to talk to us though_

[11:11] **CatDad:** Fine Kenma fine

[11:12] **CatDad:** I’m gonna sleep for a bit I’ll ttyl

_[11:13] **KittenPie:** No one uses that anymore Tetsurou_

[11:13] **CatDad:** XP

_[11:14] **KittenPie:** Bye_

 

Kuroo was still a little hungover by the time they finished dinner, but having some good, hearty food in his stomach was helpful. He’d made some pretty delicious noodles and meat despite operating through a bit of a haze. Now, smushed on the sofa with Bokuto, Kenma, and Keiji watching about 100 episodes of _How It’s Made_ , he was thinking much more clearly.

Which was a problem. All day, Oikawa had hovered in the periphery of his consciousness—looming, but never making a full appearance. Kuroo had been able to ignore it for the most part. He hadn't thought much about their meet-up, hadn't thought about the buzzing in his chest that hadn't subsided until his third shot of whiskey, hadn't thought about how close he'd come to losing his entire good sense and kissed Oikawa right before they'd parted.

He hadn't thought about any of those things. In depth. Really the only thought he had was how he’d said he never wanted to do this again. At least not for a long, long time. It hadn’t been long enough. He wasn’t ready to feel these sorts of feelings again.

And of course his friends were going to make him talk about it too.

“Alright, so now that you're sobered up a bit do you want to tell us what's going on?” Bokuto asked after a particularly thrilling episode about the process of making crayons.

“Not really. But I have a feeling you aren’t really asking, are you?”

“Nope!” Bokuto beamed, throwing an arm around Kuroo’s shoulders. “Spill, doll.”

Kuroo sighed heavily. He both loved and hated his friends. Bokuto was smiling broadly, Keiji looking at him with serene expectation, and Kenma was curled into his side with their eyes glued to the TV but their ear tilted toward Kuroo’s face. There wasn’t a way for him to get out of this.

Unfortunate.

Kuroo’s favorite activity besides falling for people way out of his league was avoiding all of his emotions and problems.

“I’m just...it’s a lot,” Kuroo said. “There’s a lot happening I definitely wasn’t prepared for.”

“What do you mean?” Keiji asked. “Did something bad happen with your friend?”

Kuroo shook his head. “No, it was...the hangout was great. It was really, really great. I had a lot of fun and they’re...something. A good something. A really good something.”

Keiji and Bokuto both raised their eyebrows.

“A good something?” Keiji repeated. “What does that mean exactly?”

Kuroo paused. He wasn't sure, in all honesty, what sense to make out of the raging shitstorm that was his currently mental and emotional state. There were just too many things, too many feelings conflicting with resolve conflicting with memory conflicting with common sense and Kuroo couldn't untangle them enough to clearly examine any of them.

“I—I don't really know,” Kuroo admitted.

“It means Tetsurou has feelings for them,” Kenma interjected blandly.

Kuroo turned to them, glaring ferociously, but their eyes were still trained on the TV.

“I'm not wrong,” they continued. “I know you. You have feelings for this person.”

“I do not,” Kuroo refuted but it sounded childishly unconvincing even to him.

“You do, and denying it isn't going to help anyone, including you,” Kenma said.

Kuroo glared even harder, but Kenma didn't look up. He opened his mouth with some kind of rebuttal but nothing came to him. Because Kenma was right, as always.

He did have feelings. He didn't want them, he'd never asked for them, but they were there.

It was the trill of their voice, the way they made him laugh, spoke so easily to him and outright teased him with no shame whatsoever. They'd managed to make Kuroo glow a little, make it hard for him to concentrate on anything but the way Oikawa's lips were always settled somewhere between sarcasm and sincerity. It made his stomach churn, made him feel tingly and happy and…

His brain went exactly where he didn’t want it to go.

 

_An old apartment with boxes stacked high against the walls and the decor stripped bare. It felt like a shell, an empty husk of a home. Even with the people inside it—a man with tousled black hair and a woman with a punk-rock blonde bob—it felt abandoned._

_“You’re really going?” Kuroo asked. His throat was so tight he was surprised he could get the words out._

_“Yeah,” the woman replied. “I know it’s gonna be hard but...yeah. It’s really the best for us, Kuroo.”_

_“I could come?” Kuroo offered. “I don’t have anything keeping me here.”_

_“You have lots keeping you here. You can’t go chasing me halfway around the world,” the woman responded tartly._

_“I just...I love you,” Kuroo managed, swallowing so hard it hurt. “I don’t...this isn’t what I want.”_

_“I love you too,” the woman said. “I love you, but…”_

 

“Ughhhh fuckkkk,” Kuroo groaned, smashing his palms into his eyes and sliding down the sofa. “I hate this.”

“What’s wrong with having a crush?” Bokuto asked.

Kuroo scowled at him through his fingers. “You know.”

Bokuto visibly rolled his eyes. “You can’t still be hung up on Saeko, man. That was almost a year ago.”

“A year is nothing in the world of emotional scarring,” Kuroo frowned.

“Kuroo, come on…” Bokuto began, but his voice tapered off as Keiji stared pointedly at him.

“It’s perfectly understandable for Kuroo to be hesitant after what happened with Saeko,” they countered firmly. “She really caused harm, Kou.”

“I know, I know,” Bokuto said, a little red in the face at the reprimand. “I’m just saying he can’t let that stop him forever.”

“Why not? I’m perfectly happy dying alone and celibate.”

“Bullshit—ouch!” Bokuto grew quiet, pouting and rubbing his ear where Keiji had flicked it.

“You have no right to talk,” they chided sternly. “It took you a good while to start dating after Hana.”

Bokuto’s pout deepened, but he didn’t have a counterargument. Kuroo chuckled and wondered what it was like to date someone who was pretty much always right about everything. Probably no worse than being best friends with someone who was always right about everything. The universe would probably explode if Keiji and Kenma ever got into an argument.

“I think we might be debating the wrong thing,” Kenma chimed in, now buried in their PSP. “While Kuroo does have every right to take as long as he needs to heal, he hasn’t actually told us what he wants.”

Kenma’s eyes slid to the side, resting on Kuroo’s face for a fraction of a second before flicking back to their PSP.

“Okay then,” Bokuto relented. “What _do_ you want, Kuroo?”

“I...I don’t know,” Kuroo replied honestly. “I honestly have no idea.”

There were a lot of things Kuroo wanted. Kuroo wanted to get to know Oikawa better. Much better. It had been less than a day and already Kuroo wanted to see them again so badly. He hadn’t texted them at all that day since he was panicking about their relationship. He wanted to know what they’d been up to, what they were thinking and feeling, if they’d gotten enough studying done the night before.

He wanted to know what those strong, careful fingers felt like intertwined with his own. He wanted to know what Oikawa’s lips felt like. He wanted to know what it would be like to be close to them, pressed together on his old sofa while they watched _Men in Black_.

He wanted to not be afraid of wanting all of those things.

“I really want to pursue something, if they want that too,” Kuroo admitted, tangling his fingers in his hair. “But I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m ready. And they...they deserve someone who is. Who’s really sure that that’s what they want.”

“That makes sense,” Keiji nodded. “May I offer some advice?” Their eyes were narrowed, and Kuroo knew them well enough to know that they were thinking hard about what they were going to say.

“Be my guest.”

“If you aren’t ready because you aren’t ready for the emotional labor of a relationship than that’s fine,” they said carefully, slowly. “I think it’s fair for you to be thinking about that so you’re treating them in a kind and respectful way. But if you aren’t ready because you’re afraid of being hurt again then you’ll never be ready. Everyone is afraid of heartbreak. And while what Saeko did was definitely more emotionally scarring than most break-ups, it isn’t completely unique.”

Kuroo frowned. He wanted to argue. _But it was unique_ , he wanted to say. _It was different because she broke me and you don’t know what that’s like_.

Even in his head, that sounded childish. He knew, logically, that he was being an idiot at heart. But that didn’t necessarily mean he could convince his heart to stop being an idiot.

“I agree with Keiji,” Kenma interjected. Their fingers had stilled on their PSP, but they didn’t look up. “I’m not going to claim that it was the same situation but I understand that it can be frightening to go for something that has an uncertain outcome.”

“Really?” Bokuto asked with a head tilt.

“Yes,” Kenma replied. “I had never been interested in a relationship before I met Shouyou, and I was fairly certain I wouldn’t be interested in a relationship after them.”

“My little aroace’s exception,” Kuroo said fondly, ruffling Kenma’s hair. They frowned at him and Kuroo laughed.

“The risk was very high for me,” Kenma continued. “But I went for it because to me, being able to have that with Shouyou was worth the possibility of later pain. So you just have to decide if they’re worth the possibility of having your heart broken again.”

Kuroo mouth dipped downwards but he couldn’t disagree. That was the very problem he had, the thing keeping him from diving in head-first. Were these feelings he was developing for Oikawa worth what they might do to him if things didn’t work out later?

Kenma’s eyes rolled to his face again, just for a second, and Kuroo thought that there was maybe a was a hint of a smile there.

“And I’m not brave either, Kuroo. I don’t step outside of my comfort zone. But you do. You’re strong and courageous.”

“Kittenpie…” Kuroo’s heart ached at the sincerity in Kenma’s words. He thought for a moment that he might actually cry. Kuroo didn’t necessarily see himself as a brave person, but if Kenma saw him that way, could say those words with such confidence, there was a chance that Kuroo could believe them.

In theory.

“I really like them. I know it might be soon but I really, really like them,” Kuroo said in a moment of weakness. It wasn’t really a solution but maybe it was a step?

“I don’t think it’s soon. I knew I wanted to date Koutarou before we even started having sex that first night,” Keiji said, stroking Bokuto’s hair affectionately. “I think if you want someone, it can happen gradually, but it can also happen very quickly. And that’s fine too.”

Kuroo nodded slowly. This conversation was scaring the absolute shit out of him. He felt nauseous. He wanted nothing more than to change the subject, swallow his feelings, and never talk about Oikawa like this again.

But then he remembered Oikawa’s bright, mischievous smile. He remembered the twinkling ring of their laugh, the way their head tipped back when something particularly tickled them. He thought about pressing his mouth into that laugh and tasting them, over and over again. He thought about that laugh being the last thing he heard before falling asleep.

He thought about how nice it was to be Oikawa’s friend, but how much nicer it would be to be their boyfriend.

Of course, all of this might not matter because Kuroo wasn’t entirely sure if they were interested. They seemed like they were flirting with him, but they also just had an extremely flirty personality. If they were, though; if they were interested and there was a chance that this odd friendship might turn into something more…

Maybe Oikawa was worth the chance.

“Okay,” Kuroo finally said. “I’m not...I’m not going to ask them out or anything but if it starts becoming more than just a friendship…”

Kuroo swallowed. He felt like he might actually throw up.

“I won’t immediately turn them down,” he decided.

Bokuto beamed at him and Keiji offered him a warm smile. Kenma was absorbed in their PSP again, but they leaned their head heavily into Kuroo’s shoulder.

Kuroo felt like he’d just decided to jump off a cliff. He wasn’t sure if this was the right decision, wasn’t sure if he’d be able to actually keep his resolve.

Right now, surrounded by these people he loved and who loved him, Kuroo thought that maybe Oikawa was worth it. Maybe he could be brave.

 

**Mon 21/11/16 [TooruBelieves]**

_[16:23] **Tetsu-chan:** Hey!!! :)_

_[16:23] **Tetsu-chan:** Sorry I didn't text you at all yesterday. I was hungover as fuck_

[16:24] **TooruBelieves:** Oh it’s fine :)

[16:24] **TooruBelieves:** Did the old man go too hard with the youth? ;)

_[16:24] **Tetsu-chan:** A little bit XD_

[16:25] **TooruBelieves:** Further proof of your grandfather status ;P

_[16:25] **Tetsu-chan:** It definitely could be_

_[16:26] **Tetsu-chan:** It could also be the six shots of whiskey I took lol_

[16:28] **TooruBelieves:** Omggg ewwwwww XP

_[16:29] **Tetsu-chan:** Not a whiskey person?_

[16:30] **TooruBelieves:** No, definitely not :P :P :P

_[16:30] **Tetsu-chan:** Fair it’s definitely an acquired taste haha_

[16:31] **TooruBelieves:** Like black coffee? ;)

_[16:32] **Tetsu-chan:** Yeah sure XD_

_[16:34] **Tetsu-chan:** What do you like then?_

[16:34] **TooruBelieves:** I like fruity drinks :)

_[16:35] **Tetsu-chan:** Yeah? I thought you were already fruity enough? ;)_

[16:36] **TooruBelieves:** Lol I am but I still like them

_[16:37] **Tetsu-chan:** No beer or anything I’m guessing?_

[16:39] **TooruBelieves:** Nope :P You can keep the bitter liquid bread to yourself

_[16:41] **Tetsu-chan:** That’s disgusting omg_

_[16:42] **Tetsu-chan:** Accurate_

_[16:42] **Tetsu-chan:** But disgusting XP_

[16:43] **TooruBelieves:** Oops :P

[16:44] **TooruBelieves:** I also like sake bombs

_[16:45] **Tetsu-chan:** Dear god RIP your poor liver_

[16:46] **TooruBelieves:** Don’t even speak to me you just said you did 6 shots of whiskey who even XD

_[16:46] **Tetsu-chan:** Fiiinnneeeee_

_[16:47] **Tetsu-chan:** How was your day yesterday tho? Did you get any studying done?_

[16:49] **TooruBelieves:** Well we studied for like five hours the night before so we gave ourselves a break yesterday and had a movie marathon :) :)

[16:50] **TooruBelieves:** But we’re studying more again tonight I think :(

_[16:51] **Tetsu-chan:** Damn well I’m glad you got a break?_

_[16:51] **Tetsu-chan:** What are you studying for?_

[16:52] **TooruBelieves:** Well we’re all bio but for different stuff ironically lol

[16:53] **TooruBelieves:** Iwa is going into med school, Mattsun wants to be a personal trainer, Makki wants to work at a zoo or smth and I’m doing plant bio

_[16:55] **Tetsu-chan:** 2 things_

_[16:56] **Tetsu-chan:** First, that’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard in my life omg????? Plant bio???? What do you want to do with that???_

_[16:56] **Tetsu-chan:** And second, who are Mattsun and Makki XD_

[16:57] **TooruBelieves:** Omg nooooo you’re gonna make fun of me DX

[16:58] **TooruBelieves:** Mattsun and Makki are Iwa-chan’s boyfriends and I’m pretty sure they’re also demons

_[16:59] **Tetsu-chan:** I won’t make fun of you!! (probably)_

_[16:59] **Tetsu-chan:** And gotcha that’s sweet :)_

[16:59] **TooruBelieves:** -_-

[17:00] **TooruBelieves:** I won’t tell you unless you promise not to make fun of me :P

_[17:01] **Tetsu-chan:** Okayyyyy I won’t_

[17:01] **TooruBelieves:** Promise?? :/

_[17:01] **Tetsu-chan:** Yes I promise :)_

[17:03] **TooruBelieves:** I want to work at a botanical garden

[17:03] **TooruBelieves:** Preferably one with a lot of exotic flowers

_[17:04] **Tetsu-chan:** OH_

_[17:04] **Tetsu-chan:** MY_

_[17:04] **Tetsu-chan:** GODDDDDDD_

[17:05] **TooruBelieves:** Noooo you promised stoppppp DX DX

_[17:06] **Tetsu-chan:** No no no that’s literally so fucking cute and pure I swear omg_

[17:06] **TooruBelieves:** Are you being serious or teasing??? :/

_[17:06] **Tetsu-chan:** I’m dead serious that’s honestly really really cute :)_

[17:07] **TooruBelieves:** :) :) :)

[17:07] **TooruBelieves:** I like plants a lot

_[17:07] **Tetsu-chan:** Plants and space? ;)_

[17:07] **TooruBelieves:** You got it Tetsu-chan!!!! :D

[17:08] **TooruBelieves:** I have a succulent collection I'll have to show you some time :)

_[17:10] **Tetsu-chan:** WHAT_

_[17:10] **Tetsu-chan:** FOR REAL OMG_

[17:11] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah!!! :)

_[17:12] **Tetsu-chan:** Good lord XD_

[17:12] **TooruBelieves:** What???

_[17:12] **Tetsu-chan:** Nothing ;)_

_[17:12] **Tetsu-chan:** You just continue to be cute that’s all :)_

[17:13] **TooruBelieves:** Awwww Tetsu-chan is making me blush!!!  <3

_[17:14] **Tetsu-chan:** Lol XD_

[17:14] **TooruBelieves:** :) :)

[17:16] **TooruBelieves:** Also

[17:16] **TooruBelieves:** What does your week look like?

[17:16] **TooruBelieves:** I'd really like to hang out again sometime soon :)

_[17:16] **Tetsu-chan:** Yeah for sure!!!_

_[17:17] **Tetsu-chan:** I'd like that a lot :)_

[17:17] **TooruBelieves:** Yay!!! :D

[17:18] **TooruBelieves:** When are you free??

_[17:19] **Tetsu-chan:** Well this week is a little hectic so I only have time for like 30 min coffee breaks as early as tomorrow_

_[17:20] **Tetsu-chan:** But if you want longer then we'll have to wait until Thursday :/ I have a group project to work on every night until then_

[17:21] **TooruBelieves:** Well that's dumb

[17:21] **TooruBelieves:** You should obviously ditch your group project and hang out with me :P

_[17:22] **Tetsu-chan:** Yeah?_

[17:22] **TooruBelieves:** Yes!! Because I'm :D and group projects are D:

_[17:23] **Tetsu-chan:** My god XD well unfortunately this group project is going to make or break my grade so…_

_[17:23] **Tetsu-chan:** I kinda gotta go unfortunately :/ :/_

[17:24] **TooruBelieves:** :( :( :( :(

[17:25] **TooruBelieves:** Well as much as I want to see you I guesssssssss we can wait until Thursday

_[17:26] **Tetsu-chan:** Thursday then :)_

_[17:26] **Tetsu-chan:** When/where??_

_[17:27] **Tetsu-chan:** I only have my 8am so I’m done whenever :)_

[17:28] **TooruBelieves:** Well I’m done with class after 12

[17:29] **TooruBelieves:** We could go get ice cream or something??? There’s that place super close to campus

_[17:29] **Tetsu-chan:** Oooo ice cream sounds good! Let’s do that :)_

[17:30] **TooruBelieves:** Yay!!!! I’m looking forward to it  <3

_[17:30] **Tetsu-chan:** Me too :)_

_[17:32] **Tetsu-chan:** Alright I gotta go make some dinner for Kenma and their partner, I’ll ttyl???_

[17:32] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my god only if you never use that again

[17:34] **TooruBelieves:** Are we 12???? Is this 2008????

_[17:35] **Tetsu-chan:** That’s what Kenma said :(_

_[17:35] **Tetsu-chan:** Why is everyone so hostile towards me and my acronyms :( :( :(_

[17:36] **TooruBelieves:** Old man

_[17:36] **Tetsu-chan:** XP_

_[17:37] **Tetsu-chan:** Later Noodle-kawa_

[17:37] **TooruBelieves:** Bye Tetsu-chan~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The alternate title for this chapter would be "Oikawa and Kuroo need to get their shit together smh"
> 
> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	5. Quest for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want them,” Kuroo said out loud without really thinking. “I really want them.”
> 
> “Then take them, Tetsurou,” Kenma encouraged evenly. “They’re basically throwing themselves at you. There’s nothing but yourself stopping you.”
> 
> Kuroo nodded.
> 
> “Okay,” he decided. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long but hey I make up for it with length and lots of angst???
> 
> Images of the kitties by the incredible [cardboardcrows](http://cardboardcrows.tumblr.com)!!

**Thurs 24/11/16 [CatDad]**

_[11:18] **Noodle-kawa:** Tetsuuuu-chaaannnnn~~_

[11:19] **CatDad:** Lol yes Noodle-kawa?

_[11:19] **Noodle-kawa:** Just wanted to make sure we’re still on for today!!! :D_

[11:20] **CatDad:** Of course! You said you’re done at 12 yeah? Do we want to meet up at like 12:30?

_[11:22] **Noodle-kawa:** Okay Tetsu-chan!! :D_

_[11:23] **Noodle-kawa:** I’m excited :) :)_

[11:24] **CatDad:** Lol me too :)

_[11:24] **Noodle-kawa:** Can I ask you something before I forget????_

[11:25] **CatDad:** Sure :) What’s up?

_[11:28] **Noodle-kawa:** Did you get a chance to try the sweets I gave you????_

[11:29] **CatDad:** I did! They were delicious omg

[11:30] **CatDad:** The melonpan was… holy shit XD

[11:30] **CatDad:** So fucking good

[11:30] **CatDad:** I can’t believe you made that it was seriously delicious

_[11:31] **Noodle-kawa:** Yay!!!!!! :D :D :D :D_

_[11:32] **Noodle-kawa:** Did you like the milk bread?_

[11:32] **CatDad:** It was okay

_[11:35] **Noodle-kawa:** Just okay????? :(_

[11:35] **CatDad:** Lol nah it was really good too

[11:36] **CatDad:** Still not totally sold on the whole vanilla thing but I liked it

_[11:36] **Noodle-kawa:** Fair enough XD I’ll convert you someday though!!!_

[11:37] **CatDad:** Haha okay :)

_[11:38] **Noodle-kawa:** Ugh okay I have lecture, I’ll see you in a bit though?_

[11:40] **CatDad:** Sure thing :) See ya

_[11:40] **Noodle-kawa:** See you!!!!_

 

[11:46] **CatDad:** Bokuto I’m freaking out rn

_[11:47] **BigHoot:** Seems like you’ve been doing that a lot lately lol_

[11:47] **CatDad:** Don’t make fun of me omg

[11:48] **CatDad:** I’m vaguely considering opening my heart back up to love again please be nice to me DX

_[11:50] **BigHoot:** Okay okay calm your tits_

_[11:50] **BigHoot:** What are you freaking out about this time?_

[11:51] **CatDad:** The fact that I’m vaguely considering opening my heart back up to love again

[11:52] **CatDad:** What if Oikawa thinks this is a date???? I don’t really think it’s a date but omg what if they do and they try to hold my hand or something and I panic

[11:53] **CatDad:** OH MY GOD BOKUTO

[11:53] **CatDad:** WHAT IF THEY TRY TO KISS ME

[11:53] **CatDad:** OH MY GODDDDDDD

_[11:54] **BigHoot:** Kuroo holy shit calm down_

_[11:55] **BigHoot:** Seriously dude, take a couple of deep breaths okay?_

_[11:56] **BigHoot:** I really don’t think that’s going to happen_

[11:56] **CatDad:** But what if it doessssss

_[11:57] **BigHoot:** I know you’re prone to catastrophizing Kuroo but I really, really don’t think they’re just gonna go straight for the kiss or the hand holding_

_[11:58] **BigHoot:** This is literally the second time you two have met in person_

[12:01] **CatDad:** Bo you don’t understand

[12:01] **CatDad:** I’ve never had chemistry with someone like this before like

[12:02] **CatDad:** I don’t even think Saeko and I had this much chemistry

[12:02] **CatDad:** And like, I think we both know we like each other??? So it wouldn’t be weird

[12:02] **CatDad:** Or it wouldn’t be weird with someone who wasn’t romantically scarred for life

[12:03] **CatDad:** I don’t know what to dooooooooo

_[12:03] **BigHoot:** I mean you could just tell them that?_

_[12:04] **BigHoot:** Be like hey I know there’s some feelings happening but I’m not ready for that right now could we take it slow?_

[12:05] **CatDad:** I absolutely can NOT do that

_[12:05] **BigHoot:** Literally why dude omg XD_

[12:06] **CatDad:** It’s very possible that might make them lose interest

[12:07] **CatDad:** Like, “okay this isn’t worth it” and then start going for other people

[12:07] **CatDad:** And I cannot adequately communicate in text how fucking horrible that would be

_[12:08] **BigHoot:** Okay that’s fair but it also isn’t cool for you to be leading them on either_

[12:10] **CatDad:** I know I knowwwww

[12:10] **CatDad:** Ughhhhhhh

_[12:11] **BigHoot:** Okay so Akaashi has an idea for you_

[12:11] **CatDad:** Do you tell them everything I text you????

_[12:12] **BigHoot:** Pretty much yeah haha_

[12:12] **CatDad:** Fucking excellent

_[12:15] **BigHoot:** XD_

_[12:18] **BigHoot:** But anyway they think you should just keep us (or Kenma) on standby_

_[12:19] **BigHoot:** That way if it gets uncomfortable you can just text us and we’ll call you with an emergency or smth and get you out of there_

[12:19] **CatDad:** That’s actually not a terrible idea

[12:20] **CatDad:** Let’s do that then

_[12:22] **BigHoot:** We should use a code word!!! :D_

[12:22] **CatDad:** Why XD

_[12:23] **BigHoot:** Because it’s fun :)_

_[12:24] **BigHoot:** How about “tangerine”?_

[12:24] **CatDad:** My god

[12:25] **CatDad:** Okay cool XD So if I text you tangerine you gotta call me and get me out of there

_[12:26] **BigHoot:** Yay!!! :D_

[12:27] **CatDad:** Thanks dude

[12:27] **CatDad:** Shit I gotta meet up with them, later dude

_[12:28] **BigHoot:** Later :P_

***

Oikawa arrived at the ice cream store first, a little nervous but mostly very excited. They’d been talking to Kuroo significantly less this week than was usual for them because of his stupid group project, which really sucked. It did make them all the more excited for this little hang-out of theirs, though.

After meeting him in person, texting wasn’t even close to enough to fulfill them anymore. Words were nice, but what Oikawa really wanted was to see his eyes and the way they glinted a little bit in the light. They wanted to see his lopsided grin, and the way his mouth always made it seem like he was humored by something. They wanted to see that big, dumb smile of his as it lit up his entirely too pretty face.

Oikawa was so excited they’d gotten up extra early just to make sure they were dressing nicely for the occasion. Not too nicely, because they didn’t want to impose any expectations (like this being anything more than a friendly meet-up, no matter how perfectly the words “Kuroo” and “date” sounded in conjunction with each other). Just nicely enough that Kuroo wouldn’t be able to help but take a second look.

“Just nicely enough” ended up being a black-and-white striped sweater over a pair of dark, straight-cut jeans with the hems rolled up enough to expose the tops of their brown ankle boots.

They were glad, too, that they’d taken the time to really put themselves together that morning when they saw Kuroo walking down the sidewalk toward the shop. He looked excellent in a white T-shirt under a denim jacket with a red flannel tied around his slim hips. The darkwash skinny jeans he wore contoured thighs that should definitely be illegal when strutted in public like this. He was put-together in a way that made it look effortless.

His face split into that easy grin of his when he saw Oikawa, greeting them with a lazy wave. Oikawa pouted deeply at him, folding their arms across their chest with false irritation.

“What?” Kuroo asked with an arched brow as he walked up beside them.

“You,” Oikawa complained, gesturing at Kuroo’s whole body. “You look like you just rolled out of bed looking like a model or something.”

“Says you,” Kuroo retorted and Oikawa was delighted to see his cheeks tint with pink. “You always look like you belong on a damn magazine cover.”

“Jealous, Tetsu-chan?” Oikawa simpered with a toss of their hair.

Kuroo snorted. “Sure.”

Oikawa laughed and pushed the door open for the two of them.

The inside of the ice cream parlor reminded them of a more whimsical, more affordable version of the Cherry. The color scheme consisted of mint green and bubblegum pink detailing on cream-colored walls, with a few pieces of art that looked like they might belong in a child’s playroom—dinosaurs and photos of sweets, that sort of thing. The metallic tables stood high above the ground, encircled by green and pink stools to match the decor.

“Cute,” Kuroo commented as he surveyed the place. “Do you come here a lot?”

“I do! Mattsun has a huge sweet tooth but Iwa is convinced his teeth will fall out if he eats too much ice cream so I sneak him in here a lot,” Oikawa smiled.

“You sneak him in?” Kuroo asked in amusement. “You’re quite the enabler, aren’t you?”

Oikawa just shrugged with a grin. “I’m not Mattsun’s boyfriend. I don’t control what he chooses to put into his body.”

Kuroo laughed—a sound that was quickly becoming one of Oikawa’s favorite things—and scanned the menu. Oikawa waited for him, swaying pleasantly from side to side. They already knew what they were going to get, what they always got because when it came to food Oikawa really was a creature of habit.

“What're you gonna get Tetsu-chan?” Oikawa asked, watching Kuroo’s eyes dance across the menu.

“Not sure,” Kuroo pondered. “I haven’t had ice cream in a while so…”

Kuroo squinted, then his glinting, dark eyes slid onto Oikawa’s face and Oikawa suddenly felt far too warm to be appropriate for a room filled with frozen milk byproduct.

“What do you usually get?” Kuroo asked innocently, obviously unaware of his devilish effect on Oikawa’s stone-cold heart.

“I really like their matcha, if I’m going to be a cliché,” Oikawa answered cheerfully. “And the strawberry too. That’s probably my favorite.”

“Sounds sweet,” Kuroo grimaced. Oikawa rolled their eyes dramatically, folding their arms across their chest.

“I apologize for not having the taste of an old man then,” they quipped. “Iwa kind of does though and his favorite is the sesame, if that helps.”

Kuroo chuckled and nodded. “Alright. I'll go with the old man ice cream probably.”

Oikawa stuck out their tongue, but Kuroo ignored them. They ordered their ice creams and found a place to sit near the middle of the room.

The tables were so tall, both of them were left with their legs dangling about ten inches off the ground. Oikawa swung their stool from side to side, humming happily as they took that first delicious lick of their ice cream.

“Yum,” Oikawa commented as the cream melted and washed sweet strawberry over their tongue.

“Enjoying yourself?” Kuroo asked, sounding amused.

“It’s delightful,” Oikawa trilled elatedly. “How’s your grandpa cream?”

“Very good, thanks for asking,” Kuroo replied smoothly. Oikawa opened their eyes to see Kuroo’s tongue poke out to lap at his ice cream cone. It was very decidedly _not_ sexual, but the way his tongue moved so expertly to get a perfect scoop of the cream, twirling around the tip before vanishing back into his mouth, Oikawa couldn’t help but imagine what that tongue might do entwined with theirs, how it might act dipped into Oikawa’s mouth instead.

Probably not an image they should dwell on in the middle of a mostly vacant ice cream shop.

“So Kuroo,” Oikawa said with friendly curiosity, “you've never really told me what you want to do with a chemistry degree.”

Kuroo made a little hum of acknowledgement as he swallowed a mouthful of his ice cream. His mouth shifted sideways in thought, foot tapping at the pole of his stool. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, and Oikawa could help but notice (and didn't care to try not to notice), how long his fingers were, how defined his hands were and how strong they looked. Some of his knuckles were a little swollen and they looked a little jagged probably from years of breaks and dislocation. Somehow those imperfections made them see all the more attractive. They'd be perfect intertwined with Oikawa's long, slightly knobby fingers, where Oikawa could trace the flaws and learn their unique shape.

Their eyes traveled to Kuroo’s forearms, sinewy and strong-looking and oh lord, how had Oikawa not noticed that Kuroo had _freckles_? Freckles dotted all over his olive skin like little stars. They had to physically fight the urge to reach out and trace shapes between them.

Oikawa was thinking a lot of really mushy-gushy thoughts for someone they hadn't known for very long.

Then again, even though Oikawa was still learning all of Kuroo's little quirks and interests, still learning about who he was and how he worked, they felt like they'd been friends forever. Like something was already stringing familiarity between them.

Grossly sappy, but Oikawa couldn't deny the truth of how they felt. How they were sure Kuroo felt too.

“You know, I wasn't really sure until pretty recently what I wanted to do and it doesn't really have anything to do with chemistry,” Kuroo said after a thoughtful pause.

“Yeah?” Oikawa asked interestedly.

“Yeah,” Kuroo affirmed with a shadow of that balanced, genuine smile. He looked down at his cone and Oikawa saw pink tint his high cheekbones.

“What's it have to do with then?” Oikawa asked when Kuroo didn't offer anything else.

Kuroo's blush deepened. “It's… it's a little… cheesy.”

Oikawa snorted. “Please. I already told you I want to work at a garden. Can't be any worse than that.”

Kuroo chuckled and the smile got bigger and Oikawa's poor heart throbbed.

“I guess that's true,” Kuroo admitted, still contemplating his cone. “I think… I might want to be a therapist.”

Oikawa blinked in surprise. They had not been expecting that.

“Really?”

“I think so,” Kuroo said. “I think… I think I'm pretty good at reading people and I'd like to help them figure some of the hard things out too. I have some friends who had some pretty awful experiences in therapy so I’d like to try to keep that from happening and like… help them help themselves, if that makes sense.”

Kuroo's mouth flickered downwards slightly. “That sounds kinda dumb now that I say it out loud.”

“It's not dumb,” Oikawa countered immediately, a little surprised at the firmness in their own voice. “I think it suits you.”

Kuroo's eyes flicked sideways at Oikawa again. He looked the tiniest bit reassured. “You think?”

“Absolutely,” Oikawa grinned. “I also think you're good at reading people. And you seem way too invested in the happiness of others so. It makes sense.”

Kuroo chuckled again, running his fingers through his hair and still blushing but looking more more at ease.

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

“It's just the truth,” Oikawa shrugged nonchalantly, though inside they were freaking out a little because Kuroo literally wanted to dedicate his life to helping people and Oikawa was _weak_. “Are you gonna change majors then?”

“I'll probably see if I can double up on departments,” Kuroo said, and his mouth turned back up again.

“Tetsu-chan is so ambitious,” Oikawa teased.

Kuroo snickered and rolled his eyes, returning to ice cream. Oikawa had to refocus their attention on their own cone to keep their imagination from wandering back to kissing the little smear of brown cream off Kuroo’s lips.

“How’s your group project been going?” Oikawa asked casually instead.

“It’s horrible,” Kuroo groaned grumpily, swiveling indignantly on his stool. “I normally really like group projects but my group this time is fucking terrible.”

“You _like_ group projects?” Oikawa scowled, sticking their tongue out in disgust. “ _Why_?”

“I mean, if you have a good group it makes the work a lot easier to split it up,” Kuroo reasoned.

“Okay, but how often does that actually happen? And how often are you actually stranded writing, directing, producing, and starring in it but still having to put everyone’s stupid name in the credits?” Oikawa argued frustratedly.

“I take it you’ve had some bad experiences with groups,” Kuroo said, lips trembling as he obviously tried to suppress a laugh. Even with their feathers ruffled Oikawa wished he wouldn’t do that.

“More like I’ve never had a _good_ experience with a group,” Oikawa sniffed, and Kuroo let out a little puff of laughter.

“And I’m sure you’re an absolute delight to work with in a group setting,” Kuroo teased.

Oikawa placed their hand on their chest and gasped in mock offense.

“I am a treasure to work with, thank you very much Kuroo Tetsurou,” they snapped, which only served to widen Kuroo’s smirk. “I’m the one who makes sure that we all have our shit done on time and to the highest standard.”

“I’m sure that your group members appreciate your perfectionism. I know it’s my absolute favorite thing ever when I have a group member who loves to point out every infuriatingly petty detail,” Kuroo quipped and Oikawa had to bite back a chuckle of their own. Kuroo’s dark eyes danced with a certain sort of taunting brightness, good-natured and amused, and it made Oikawa feel stupidly giddy. They would have been more annoyed if they weren’t so damn happy about it, about spending time with Kuroo—who could take their sass and dish it back just as hard.

They fell into some light-hearted conversation after that, sprinkled with teasing and laughter and plenty of butterflies churning in Oikawa’s stomach. They sat there long after they’d both finished their ice creams, bonding over how they both savored that cold soupy bit at the bottom, talking about anything and everything.

At one point, while Oikawa twisted back and forth restlessly in their chair, they knocked against Kuroo’s foot.

“Hey, watch it,” Kuroo said with a smirk, jabbing back at Oikawa with his toe. “These are new boots.”

“I’m so sorry, Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa simpered, but they retaliated by tapping the bottom of his shoe instead. Kuroo snickered, and thus began a little game of occasionally “accidentally” kicking each other under the table.

In other words, they played footsie. They played fucking _footsie_ under the table. Like middle schoolers.

But Oikawa thought it was cute, and it made Kuroo chuckle and smile and his eyes get all bright so they kept at it anyway.

It was nearly three in the afternoon when an annoying series of mechanical buzzes interrupted them in the middle of a heated debate over the most superior flavor of rice crackers (which was obviously sesame even though Kuroo insisted it was chili pepper).

“Shit, Kenma just sent me like eight messages,” Kuroo frowned. “Hold on, sorry.”

“You just don't want to admit your defeat,” Oikawa teased, earning them an eye roll. “But okay.”

 

**[CatDad]**

_[12:52] **KittenPie:** Do you want to get lunch?_

_[13:14] **KittenPie:** I ate with Shouyou sorry_

_[13:45] **KittenPie:** What are you doing?_

_[13:56] **KittenPie:** Shouyou wants to see you today_

_[14:08] **KittenPie:** Would you like to come over to play video games?_

_[14:21] **KittenPie:** I'll assume that's a no_

_[14:33] **KittenPie:** Shouyou keeps bothering me you should come over for  
dinner and maybe a movie_

_[14:42] **KittenPie:** I'll assume you're coming or I'm sure Shouyou will drag  
you here_

_[14:58] **KittenPie:** An answer would still be appreciated_

[14:58] **CatDad:** Shit I'm so sorry Kenma I didn't even notice you were texting me

_[14:59] **KittenPie:** It's okay_

_[14:59] **KittenPie:** Are you okay?_

[15:00] **CatDad:** Yeah I'm fine I'm with Oikawa

_[15:01] **KittenPie:** Oh okay_

_[15:01] **KittenPie:** Were you having sex or something?_

[15:01] **CatDad:** KENMA OH MY GOD

[15:02] **CatDad:** Why was that the first thing you jumped to

_[15:02] **KittenPie:** That's usually the only time you don't answer your phone_

[15:03] **CatDad:** I was absolutely not having sex with them we're literally just friends Kenma

[15:03] **CatDad:** We're at an ice cream shop talking my god

_[15:04] **KittenPie:** No need to get defensive_

_[15:05] **KittenPie:** Would you like to get dinner? Oikawa is welcome to come I was planning on making a lot of food_

[15:05] **CatDad:** Yeah I'd love to Oikawa probably won't tho

_[15:06] **KittenPie:** Okay_

_[15:06] **KittenPie:** See you soon then?_

[15:07] **CatDad:** See ya soon KP :)

 

“Sorry about that, Kenma’s partner really wants to see me so they texted me about twenty times,” Kuroo apologized, closing his phone

Kuroo had honestly been so caught up in their conversation he hadn't noticed Kenma's texts. He definitely felt guilty about that. However closed off Kenma seemed, they worried about Kuroo, especially when he went off the grid. Which happened probably a little too often.

Kuroo wasn’t great with technology.

But Oikawa had taken up all of his attention. He gotten so lost in whatever they were talking about, and in very carefully trying to ward off the almost irresistible urge to kiss them or entwine their fingers. He wanted to, he really wanted to and he was perceptive enough to know they wanted to as well but he just wasn't there yet. He was a chicken and he knew it. But he just couldn't do it.

“Oh it's fine Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa said brightly. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine, just annoyed with me but what's new,” Kuroo said with a little shrug. “It probably means I should get going though.”

Those words definitely should not have tasted so acrid falling off of Kuroo's tongue. They'd been taking for hours, but they'd been enjoying the easiest conversation Kuroo could remember having in some time. Oikawa might have been a bit pompous—well, okay, a lot pompous—but Kuroo was also a dick and somehow their individual asshole-ness meshed together perfectly.

Kuroo didn't want to leave. The tiniest twitch downward of Oikawa's smug smile told him they didn't want him to go either.

Which somehow made everything so much worse.

“That's fine, I probably should too,” Oikawa said lightly, almost convincingly.

The two of them made their way outside. It felt almost exactly like their first meeting, a nervous tension between them to see if either of them would make a move. It made him nervous, in the same way that waiting in line for a roller coaster made him nervous—the anticipation that his stomach might bottom out in adrenaline.

They faced each other, Oikawa’s hands loose at their side, Kuroo’s shoved into his pockets.

“I’m going this way,” Kuroo said, jabbing a thumb behind him heading east.

“Looks like we part ways yet again Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa said brightly, but Kuroo noticed that their cheeks were flushed.

Oikawa's hand twitched for a moment at their side, and they looked like they might actually reach for him. Kuroo's heart was stuttering almost painfully, and he was trying to laser into their mind to _just go for it._

_Go for it because I never will._

But they didn’t. Instead, they waved goodbye to one another with the same casual “see you later” that normal, platonic friends shared.

Kuroo’s heart was still beating out of time as he walked to Kenma’s apartment. He was a little sad that nothing had happened, but he was more relieved. He still hadn’t decided yet what exactly he wanted, what he was ready for. Even though he’d told Keiji and Bokuto he wouldn’t outright refuse Oikawa if they did do something, he wasn’t sure. Everything between them was so easy, so fluid just as it was, that Kuroo was terrified to ruin that because he was a romantic disaster.

Maybe it would be better to _not_ act on their feelings. To just stay friends who happened to flirt like teenagers in puppy love.

Things were usually better if there weren’t feelings involved.

 

_“I love you.”_

_Kuroo had been saying those words for months now, but here in the shadow of night in his bedroom, where the moonlight contoured every sharp angle of Saeko’s face, it felt especially true. He ran his fingers through her hair, watching each flaxen strand as they streamed through his fingers. Her eyes were only half-open, her upper lids dusted with the eye shadow she hadn't bothered to remove after work. She drifted near the precipice of sleep but the corner of her mouth twitched up as Kuroo's voice permeated the drowsy silence of the room._

_“I love you,” she mumbled back. “Now go to sleep, idiot.”_

_Kuroo chuckled and kissed her nose affectionately. Then her forehead because that was her favorite place to be kissed—the space right between her eyes. The little hum of happiness propelled Kuroo's lips to her cheeks, then her jaw, down the side of her neck to her shoulder. It was all lips, no teeth or tongue, but it had Saeko shuddering a little and smiling._

_“Trying to keep me awake?”_

_Kuroo chuckled. “If I am?”_

_“You'll have to do a bit better, I'm fucking exhausted,” she jeered playfully, but there was already a hand winding up in Kuroo's hair._

_“Like this?” Kuroo asked as he snatched a nip at the junction of her shoulder._

_Saeko gasped, and before he knew it she was on top of him, fumbling in the drawer for a condom and palming him through his boxers._

_Even though it was late, Kuroo didn't protest. How could he refuse the desire of someone so beautiful, who fit him so perfectly?_

_They made love because Saeko had the sex drive of a lioness in heat, and so did Kuroo, and he loved her body and she loved his, and he wanted to please her and so did she. Sex was always so natural between them, so perfect in flow and rhythm that they could do it without thinking. When they were done they tangled themselves together, an indistinguishable mess of limbs and heaving chests, and slept like the dead._

_It was times like these that Kuroo thought they absolutely must have been made for each other._

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

[18:38] **TooruBelieves:** Hey! :D

[18:38] **TooruBelieves:** I had a lot of fun again today :)

_[18:40] **Tetsu-chan:** Me too :) I liked that ice cream place_

_[18:41] **Tetsu-chan:** Definitely gonna take Bokuto there sometime, thanks for introducing me_

[18:42] **TooruBelieves:** Of course! I’m glad you enjoyed it~~

_[18:43] **Tetsu-chan:** :)_

[18:45] **TooruBelieves:** Did you end up appeasing Kenma's partner???

_[18:46] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh yeah, Hinata is super easy to please tbh_

_[18:47] **Tetsu-chan:** They're the embodiment of sunshine it's kind of ridiculous_

_[18:47] **Tetsu-chan:** It's actually super ridiculous because Kenma is super not that way_

_[18:49] **Tetsu-chan:** They aren't like… dark and gloomy or anything but they're like, you know_

[18:51] **TooruBelieves:** A cat?? ;)

_[18:52] **Tetsu-chan:** Big time lol_

_[18:52] **Tetsu-chan:** What's up with you rn?_

[18:55] **TooruBelieves:** I'm with Makki helping him plan some dumb anniversary surprise for Iwa

[18:57] **TooruBelieves:** He and Mattsun have been planning it for weeks it's unbelievable tbh

_[18:58] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh?? Is it a biggie?_

[18:59] **TooruBelieves:** I mean sorta

[19:00] **TooruBelieves:** Their anniversary is kinda complicated lol

_[19:01] **Tetsu-chan:** Yeah?_

[19:05] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah cuz like Mattsun and Makki have been together for almost five years now but Iwa has only been with them for about three

[19:06] **TooruBelieves:** And Iwa was fine with separate celebrations but Makki was hella set that they're all dating now, not just Mattsun and Makki

[19:07] **TooruBelieves:** And Iwa counts it separately and wants them to be celebrated accordingly but Makki only counts the three

_[19:08] **Tetsu-chan:** Damn that is complicated lol_

_[19:09] **Tetsu-chan:** I feel like Mattsun would be the deal breaker what does he think?_

[19:10] **TooruBelieves:** He literally does not care it's real annoying XD

_[19:10] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh oops haha_

[19:13] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah so they end up always arguing about it, ALWAYS and then they kinda fuck half-angry, half-sappy it's disgusting

_[19:14] **Tetsu-chan:** So not that I care but how tf do you know that_

[19:16] **TooruBelieves:** A combination of thin walls, Mattsun and Makki having 0 volume control, and Makki oversharing XD XD

[19:16] **TooruBelieves:** DX

_[19:17] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh god I'm so sorry_

[19:18] **TooruBelieves:** It's fine at least I don't live with them anymore

_[19:19] **Tetsu-chan:** That must be nice haha_

_[19:21] **Tetsu-chan:** Do you have other roommates now??_

[19:22] **TooruBelieves:** Nope it's just me and my cat thank god :)

_[19:23] **Tetsu-chan:** Ooooo that sounds nice :)_

_[19:23] **Tetsu-chan:** What kind of cat???_

[19:25] **TooruBelieves:** She's a cut lil orange-ish and white kitty named Momo :D

_[19:25] **Tetsu-chan:** Ugh good shit do you have pics???_

[19:26] **TooruBelieves:** Do I have

[19:29] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu-chan I am hurt and offended that I came across to you as someone who didn't have about a thousand Insta pics of their cat

[19:29] **TooruBelieves:** A frankly inexcusable misjudgement of my character

_[19:30] **Tetsu-chan:** Well geez sorry_

_[19:30] **Tetsu-chan:** I try not to assume anything goddamn_

[19:31] **TooruBelieves:** My Insta is Tooru_believes so you can see her there :P

_[19:32] **Tetsu-chan:** Ah cool I'm super stoked_

[19:33] **TooruBelieves:** She's the love of my life so be nice to her

[19:34] **TooruBelieves:** Wait actually here’s a good few I have just randomly saved

 [19:34]  **TooruBelieves:** [img]

__

__

_[19:34] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh_

_[19:34] **Tetsu-chan:** OH_

_[19:34] **Tetsu-chan:** OHMYGOD_

_[19:35] **Tetsu-chan:** She's so cute holy hell_

_[19:35] **Tetsu-chan:** Oh my god those EYES_

_[19:35] **Tetsu-chan:** And her big fluffy paws holy shit_

_[19:36] **Tetsu-chan:** She's so pretty jesus christ_

[19:37] **TooruBelieves:** I'm glad you approve :D

_[19:38] **Tetsu-chan:** So much yeah_

_[19:38] **Tetsu-chan:** WAIT_

_[19:39] **Tetsu-chan:** Does she have a mild heterochromia????_

[19:40] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah one eye is slightly more hazel and the other is really brown

_[19:41] **Tetsu-chan:** SO GOOD_

_[19:41] **Tetsu-chan:** SO PURE_

_[19:41] **Tetsu-chan:** 10/10 cat you got right there_

_[19:42] **Tetsu-chan:** I wanna meet her so bad she's so fluffy and looks so sweet I wanna pet her_

[19:45] **TooruBelieves:** Lol you're into this XD

[19:46] **TooruBelieves:** I know you're a cat person but damn you must really like cats

_[19:47] **Tetsu-chan:** I LOVE cats_

_[19:48] **Tetsu-chan:** Cats are the best animals ever I don't even care they're incredible and I want 50_

[19:49] **TooruBelieves:** My god XD

[19:50] **TooruBelieves:** I’m assuming you have at least one cat then?

_[19:50] **Tetsu-chan:** Yep I have one his name is Okami_

_[19:51] **Tetsu-chan:** Well okay he’s definitely Kenma’s cat but I say he’s mine_

[19:52] **TooruBelieves:** Kenma’s cat lives at your apartment????

_[19:53] **Tetsu-chan:** I mean yeah Kenma is technically my roommate_

[19:54] **TooruBelieves:** I thought they lived in an apartment 30 min away from you??

_[19:55] **Tetsu-chan:** I mean_

_[19:55] **Tetsu-chan:** Kinda????_

[19:56] **TooruBelieves:** I am very confused how do you kinda live in two places XD

_[19:58] **Tetsu-chan:** Well okay so Kenma is on my lease and “lives” here but they spend most weekends at their partner’s place so like, they’re both Kenma’s apartment_

_[19:59] **Tetsu-chan:** Kenma doesn’t live with you, you live with Kenma lol_

[19:59] **TooruBelieves:** Okay that makes sense haha

[20:00] **TooruBelieves:** Kinda like you two have joint custody XD

_[20:01] **Tetsu-chan:** Yes that’s actually very accurate XP_

_[20:02] **Tetsu-chan:** Kenma and Hinata also have a cat together too and he also loves me (all cats love me tho lol)_

_[20:03] **Tetsu-chan:** His name is Simba XD Hinata named him_

[20:06] **TooruBelieves:** That’s great :) Do you have pics of either of them??

_[20:07] **Tetsu-chan:** Actually yes_

_[20:07] **Tetsu-chan:** The one thing I have on my phone is a bunch of pictures of my cats lol_

_[20:07] **Tetsu-chan:** Hold up lemme find some_

_[20:09] **Tetsu-chan:** Okay so this is Simba_

_[20:09] **Tetsu-chan:** [img]_

_[20:10] **Tetsu-chan:** And this is Okami_

_[20:10] **Tetsu-chan:**  [img]_

[20:12] **TooruBelieves:** They’re fucking huge holy shitttttt

[20:13] **TooruBelieves:** They’re majestic as fuck what the hell

[20:13] **TooruBelieves:** So wait Kenma has a cat with you and a cat with their partner???

_[20:14] **Tetsu-chan:** Yep lol idk what we’ll do when Kenma moves out_

_[20:15] **Tetsu-chan:** They’ll probably take Okami and I will be very cat-less DX_

[20:16] **TooruBelieves:** An excuse for you to get a cat of your own then :D

_[20:17] **Tetsu-chan:** Trueeee_

_[20:18] **Tetsu-chan:** There’s a cat café I adore and they adopt out all their cats and there’s this one_

_[20:19] **Tetsu-chan:** She’s literally_

_[20:19] **Tetsu-chan:** Perfect in every single way_

_[20:19] **Tetsu-chan:** Well okay every cat is perfect but she’s like SUPER perfect_

_[20:20] **Tetsu-chan:** And I wannnttttt her_

_[20:20] **Tetsu-chan:** The owner agreed that if she’s still there by the time Kenma moves out she’s mine :D :D_

[20:23] **TooruBelieves:** A lot of things just happened I feel the need to comment on

[20:23] **TooruBelieves:** Number 1: you go to one cat café enough to know the owner

[20:24] **TooruBelieves:** Number 2: you haven’t adopted this cat yet what’s wrong with you

[20:24] **TooruBelieves:** Number 3: why has no one else taken her yet if she’s perfect????

_[20:25] **Tetsu-chan:** Kenma won’t let another cat in the house lol Okami is really picky with other animals_

_[20:25] **Tetsu-chan:** He barely likes Simba. He tolerates Simba XD_

_[20:26] **Tetsu-chan:** And she hasn’t been adopted yet because she’s missing a leg_

_[20:27] **Tetsu-chan:** Which literally doesn’t matter at all. And she’s also a bit older. She’s like 7 they think (she was a stray)_

_[20:27] **Tetsu-chan:** But she’s soooooo perfect and sweet and smart_

[20:28] **TooruBelieves:** Awwwww kitty!!!! :( :( :(

[20:29] **TooruBelieves:** Does she have a name??

_[20:29] **Tetsu-chan:** Kuma :)_

[20:30] **TooruBelieves:** That’s so cuttteeeee ahhhhh

[20:31] **TooruBelieves:** Do you have pics???

_[20:32] **Tetsu-chan:** No :( they don’t let people take pics of the cats_

[20:33] **TooruBelieves:** Shame :( :( :(

[20:34] **TooruBelieves:** We’ll just have to visit together sometime!!! :D

_[20:34] **Tetsu-chan:** Deal :)_

[20:36] **TooruBelieves:** Speaking of which

[20:37] **TooruBelieves:** When is it too soon for a level 5 friend to ask you to hang out XD

_[20:37] **Tetsu-chan:** Literally whenever haha_

_[20:38] **Tetsu-chan:** Also I'd put us way higher than a five_

[20:39] **TooruBelieves:** A ten??? :D

_[20:39] **Tetsu-chan:** Not quite but we're heading that way for sure_

_[20:40] **Tetsu-chan:** At least an 8. Probably an 8.5_

[20:41] **TooruBelieves:** I will make it to a 10 :D

[20:45] **TooruBelieves:** But okay do you want to meet up for tea on Saturday after my shift?? It ends at 2 again :)

_[20:45] **Tetsu-chan:** That sounds great! Same place??_

[20:46] **TooruBelieves:** Yes!! :D

[20:47] **TooruBelieves:** Ugh okay Makki is demanding all of my attention I’ll text you later

_[20:48] **Tetsu-chan:** Cool :) Later!_

 

Oikawa and Kuroo texted all day on Friday since they weren’t planning on seeing each other. It occurred to Oikawa that they’d never talked to someone this much without getting irritated or bored, but they had no desire to stop. The messages flowed just like their conversations in person: so easy it was almost instinctive.

On Saturday they met up at the Tea Room again and they talked all afternoon. It was perfect and casual and even though Oikawa could sense flirtatious tension between them they didn't feel the need to push.

The electric brush of their hands when Kuroo handed Oikawa his phone to look at a funny Facebook video was enough to send a thrill right up Oikawa's spine anyway.

They met up again the very next day to study together in the library. Well, they didn’t actually get much studying done. They ended up talking again. They talked a lot about their histories, which wasn’t as horribly uncomfortable as Oikawa feared it might be.

Oikawa had an older sister with a family and was pretty much the picture of the perfect daughter. Oikawa, on the other hand, was a pretty massive disappointment to the family. They didn’t talk about their queerness at all, and every time they went home they had to deal with the misgendering and their father telling them they needed to dress like a grown man otherwise “no one will ever take you seriously”.

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo said, long since abandoning his chem textbook and resting his cheek in his hand as he looked at Oikawa. “That fucking sucks.”

“Meh,” Oikawa shrugged, perched cross-legged in their chair. “It’s the way things are. We all love each other so you do what you can, you know?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo nodded a little woefully.

“What about your family?” Oikawa asked and Kuroo smiled.

Kuroo was the child of a single mom who was apparently a tenacious, fierce, smart woman who took no shit and needed no man. He didn’t have any siblings, but he and Kenma had been friends since they were little and Kuroo’s mother basically treated Kenma like a second kid. Oikawa teased him for being such a mama’s boy but Kuroo just laughed and said “I probably am”.

This was their routine for several weeks as their friendship grew more and more. They met up at the Tea Room either before or after most of Oikawa’s shifts. Other times, they met up at the library to “study” (it was rare that they even cracked open their textbooks) in a secluded corner where no one would be bothered by their conversation. They communicated in some way every single day and Oikawa never once got sick of it.

They’d never not gotten sick of someone. Never. Never been so open with someone right from the start.

One thing they didn’t seem to touch on was past relationships. Oikawa briefly brought up the fact that they’d dated their other best friend Suga for a time in high school, mostly because it had been a hilarious failure.

“Yeah we dated for less than six months and slept together like twice and it was honestly just awful,” Oikawa said with a snorting laugh. Kuroo laughed too, but then Oikawa asked, “So have you dated anyone before?” and all of the humor drained from him like someone had pulled a plug in his face.

His eyes fell away from Oikawa’s, and he caved in on himself and looked almost fearful.

Oikawa quickly changed the subject to a story about when they and Iwa-chan breaking into an abandoned building as children and the mood lightened up after that. Oikawa hadn’t brought it up again, though they were curious as to what exactly had happened to him to bring out a reaction that intense.

There were a lot of casual touches that sent Oikawa’s heart into a frenzy in their chest. There were a lot of moments of unnaturally prolonged eye contact that left Kuroo coughing self-consciously and both of them blushing like schoolkids. There was a lot of just talking, for hours and hours while the time flew by unnoticeably fast.

There were a lot of moments where Oikawa came dangerously, terrifyingly close to just reaching forward across their study table to kiss him.

There was even a time when it was bitterly cold outside and they thought Kuroo might be the one to do it.

Oikawa had absolutely zero heat regulation, and once December hit there hadn’t been a day above freezing. They met up at the library, which wasn’t well heated whatsoever, and Oikawa was severely underdressed.

“Why the hell didn’t you bring a bigger coat, Noodle-kawa?” Kuroo muttered grumpily as Oikawa shivered in their chair, knees drawn up to their chest.

“I don’t have one that goes with this outfit.”

“Oh my god you have got to be kidding me,” Kuroo said exasperatedly. “Here, fucking...you’re impossible sometimes I swear to god.”

Kuroo thrust his peacoat forward, scowling, and Oikawa took it gratefully. Which was a mistake. It smelled like him—like pine trees and rainwater—and it took a massive amount of effort not to bury their nose in it and inhale deeply.

Kuroo then reached forward to bundle Oikawa in his scarf, tucking it snug around their neck. He hung onto the ends even after he got it situated, holding Oikawa’s eyes. He leaned forward. He leaned forward and Oikawa’s heart launched into their mouth and they were so sure it was finally going to happen when he coughed and turned away.

It was like this every time Oikawa felt like something might happen. Kuroo pulled away. He changed the subject or rested his hands in his lap or pretended to get a text from someone. It was _so frustrating_ , because Oikawa wasn’t an idiot and they knew that Kuroo was interested. At first Oikawa thought maybe he just didn’t know they were interested, but when Oikawa started linking their fingers together as they read their textbooks and he didn’t protest away, they knew he knew.

Why wouldn’t he just go for it?

By the second week of their little dance Oikawa was close to losing their mind. Kuroo was filling almost all of their thoughts. They wanted to kiss him and hold him and take him to the movies and cuddle in bed with him and bring him to meet Mattsun and Makki and Iwa. They _wanted him_.

It was Friday and Oikawa was strung out on Iwa’s bed again, griping for probably the hundredth time to the fearsome threesome about how frustratingly close they were to making something really substantial happen.

“I _never_ get feelings like this,” Oikawa moaned, replaying a particular moment when Kuroo’s hand came to rest mindlessly on their thigh as they scrolled through Oikawa’s Instagram for pictures of Momo. Neither of them acknowledged it really, but he didn’t move it for some time, and Oikawa had been sure that they could power a city with the heat radiating off their body. “Why does it have to be with someone who seems about as interested in a relationship as a potato?”

“I mean, you pretty much have two options. You can either ask him out or drop it already. Either way you have to do something so you can stop whining to us about it,” Makki sniveled.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Oikawa snapped back. “I played matchmaker for you three for a year. I’ve logged probably hundreds of hours of whining time about relationships.”

Makki glowered but he didn’t have a response to that.

“I really think you should go for it,” Mattsun interjected in a much more understanding tone. “Seriously Tooru. I’ve never seen you hesitate to go after something you want, even when there was a high likelihood of losing.”

“He’s right you know,” Iwaizumi cut in for the first time since Oikawa started talking about Kuroo that evening. “You’ve always been way too gutsy for your own good.”

Oikawa groaned dramatically but they couldn’t really argue. They’d never really had a problem taking risks before—in volleyball, in school, in life in general honestly. If they saw a hot person at a bar, they’d strut right up to them and ask to give them head with absolutely no hesitation whatsoever.

So what was holding them back with Kuroo?

“I don’t want to scare him away,” they decided. “You should have seen him when I brought up relationships. I thought he was actually going to combust.”

Masstun hummed his understanding, but Iwa looked unconvinced.

“I don’t think that’s an excuse. Not for you,” Iwaizumi pressed. “Especially because you decided not two weeks ago that you were going to go for it.”

Oikawa bit back something very impolite in their frustration because none of them understood. None of them knew how enormously these feelings were weighted. How much Oikawa delighted in having Kuroo in their life. How much they absolutely couldn’t lose that.

“You know, you’re acting like this is an all or nothing kind of thing and it doesn’t really have to be,” Mattsun pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Oikawa asked, eyebrows knitting together.

“You can always frame it as something he has a choice in,” Mattsun explained. “You know, ask him out but tell him it’s fine if you stay friends too. That way he doesn’t feel cornered.”

“That’s…not a horrible idea actually,” Oikawa admitted. “How would I go about doing that?”

“That I’m not sure how to help you with,” Mattsun shrugged with an infuriatingly smug smile. “I’d ask Suga for the details. He’s a lot better with that than we are.”

“Okay, I’ll ask then,” Oikawa agreed with a curt half-smirk. “Thanks for the advice you three. Well. Not Makki. You were just mean.”

Oikawa took their phone out as they dodged Makki swinging a pillow with full force right at their face.

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

[21:11] **TooruBelieves:** So

[21:11] **TooruBelieves:** I think I’m going to ask Kuroo out

[21:12] **TooruBelieves:** Ish :|

_[21:13] **PrincessRefreshing:** OH MY GOD TOORU OH MY GOD_

_[21:13] **PrincessRefreshing:** THIS IS THE BEST TEXT I THINK I’VE EVER RECEIVED FROM YOU_

_[21:14] **PrincessRefreshing:** Wherewhenhow gimme details bby_

[21:15] **TooruBelieves:** Omg Suga XD

[21:15] **TooruBelieves:** I’m not sure that’s why I wanted to text you I need help

_[21:16] **PrincessRefreshing:** Yes of course ugh I’m almost crying I’m so excited_

[21:16] **TooruBelieves:** Suga please XP

_[21:17] **PrincessRefreshing:** Sorry sorry but this is so fucking huge_

[21:18] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah I know that’s why I need you to chill

[21:18] **TooruBelieves:** We can’t both freak out

_[21:19] **PrincessRefreshing:** Alrightttttt_

_[21:20] **PrincessRefreshing:** What do you need help with???? :O_

[21:21] **TooruBelieves:** So remember how I told you he panicked when I started talking about relationships?

_[21:22] **PrincessRefreshing:** Oh yeah he was like a lil scared bunny XO_

[21:23] **TooruBelieves:** Um what

[21:23] **TooruBelieves:** Suga are you drunk

_[21:24] **PrincessRefreshing:** Drunk on LIFE_

_[21:24] **PrincessRefreshing:** And maybe just a bit~~_

[21:25] **TooruBelieves:** Oh my godddddd

[21:26] **TooruBelieves:** Please tell me you’re coherent enough to give me an actually helpful answer

_[21:27] **PrincessRefreshing:** I am don’t worry I just had some wine with Daichi for dinner :)_

[21:28] **TooruBelieves:** Ugh okay

[21:28] **TooruBelieves:** So I need to figure out how to ask him out in a super lowkey way

_[21:29] **PrincessRefreshing:** What do you mean???_

[21:29] **TooruBelieves:** Like, I need it to be easy for him to say no and for us to stay friends

_[21:30] **PrincessRefreshing:** Hmmmmm_

_[21:31] **PrincessRefreshing:** Well no matter what you do it’s going to be a little awkward for y’all if he says no so just know that_

[21:32] **TooruBelieves:** That’s fine, I can handle awkward as long as I don’t scare him off completely

_[21:33] **PrincessRefreshing:** Is he a deer XD_

[21:34] **TooruBelieves:** No stop comparing him to woodland creatures Suga that’s weird

[21:34] **TooruBelieves:** But he’s flighty as fuck with relationships for some reason

_[21:35] **PrincessRefreshing:** Lol okay well I think that’s doable_

[21:36] **TooruBelieves:** Good :P

_[21:37] **PrincessRefreshing:** So here’s what I’m thinking_

_[21:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** Invite him out somewhere y’all don’t normally go, to make it clear that this isn’t just a normal hangout_

_[21:38] **PrincessRefreshing:** That way you’re not completely surprising him, you know?_

[21:39] **TooruBelieves:** Oooooo okay that’s a good idea!!

_[21:39] **PrincessRefreshing:** Yeah! And then just ask if he’d want to go on a date_

_[21:41] **PrincessRefreshing:** And use those exact words because you’re not asking for any commitment, just a one-time thing_

_[21:42] **PrincessRefreshing:** That way if he says no he doesn’t feel like he’s turning down a whole relationship, just a date_

[21:43] **TooruBelieves:** Suga

[21:43] **TooruBelieves:** You’re my absolute saving grace thank you so so much D’X

_[21:44] **PrincessRefreshing:** You’re welcome honey any time :) :) :)_

[21:45] **TooruBelieves:** Ughhh I really really want him to say yes Suga

[21:46] **TooruBelieves:** I’ve never liked someone this much like I’m not even really thinking about banging him I just want to kiss him and hold his handdddd D’’’X

_[21:47] **PrincessRefreshing:** Wow you’re not thinking about banging him???? I don’t think that’s ever happened_

[21:48] **TooruBelieves:** I mean I’d like to /eventually/

[21:48] **TooruBelieves:** Because he’s one of the hottest people on the planet

_[21:49] **PrincessRefreshing:** XD XD_

[21:49] **TooruBelieves:** But it isn’t like a priority

_[21:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** Damn Tooru_

_[21:50] **PrincessRefreshing:** You caught some actual, real-life feelings_

_[21:51] **PrincessRefreshing:** Glad he was hot enough to melt that ice-cold heart of yours ;)_

[21:52] **TooruBelieves:** Meaaaannnnn :( :(

_[21:53] **PrincessRefreshing:** Love you  <3 <3_

[21:54] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah yeah

[21:54] **TooruBelieves:** Love you too  <3

 

Kuroo was stressed. After nearly two weeks of seeing Oikawa or talking to them every day, he knew he was starting to tread into some deep shit. He’d come so, so recklessly close to kissing them it was ridiculous.

He felt like he was walking a tightrope between giving too much and not giving enough. Any wrong move in either direction might send him careening off the edge into a dark, unhappy, distinctly Oikawa-less place.

He felt a little guilty because he knew they were flirting. He knew he was probably leading them on a little. He felt guilty because Oikawa didn’t seem to have any problem at all making more and more advances every day. They studied together frequently and they'd started doing this dumb cute thing where they hooked their pinkies together. It was never acknowledged really or discussed but it became the norm and Kuroo didn't make any attempts to stop it.

Everything would be easier, so much easier, if Oikawa wasn't interested. But Kuroo wasn't a fool: he could read flirting even from someone who seemed naturally very flirtatious. If Oikawa didn’t return his feelings he could just shove them down like he’d done with every other vague crush he’d had in the past year.

That was the other problem, though. This didn’t feel like a vague crush. Kuroo knew the signs of falling hard for someone, falling past little giggles and harmless pick-up lines. He knew when it was less like tripping and more like hurtling off a cliff.

It was awful because Kuroo wanted this so fucking badly. Oikawa was funny and smart and cute and beautiful and interesting and honestly the two of them had unmatchable chemistry. Everything in the universe was screaming for them to get together.

Dating had just become like a food aversion after Saeko.

He hadn’t forsaken it or sworn of feelings forever because that would be a little ridiculous. He really liked being in love. He thrived in relationships. He was a good boyfriend and he liked having a partner to curl up with at night and cook for and hold hands with and kiss and maybe even sleep with.

Every time he got close to making a move, though, he felt sick. He felt nauseous. He’d given his whole heart over to an incredible woman who had thrown it back in his face, broken and torn, and it had come very close to ending him.

He couldn’t do that again.

“You know, you could just, like, date this person,” Bokuto suggested one evening when all five of them were together and Kuroo was beautifully fifth-wheeling. “You don’t have to propose on the first date or anything.”

“I really fucking can’t though,” Kuroo huffed frustratedly.

“Why not?”

“Tetsurou doesn’t know how to do casual,” Kenma chimed in as they played with Hinata’s hair. “I’m not sure if he even knows how to have feelings for someone in a way that isn’t extremely deep and intense.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo agreed, digging his palms into his eyes. “Go big or go home. Or some shit.”

“Well, it’s been a year dude,” Bokuto insisted, flipping over onto his stomach on the floor to meet Kuroo's eyes. “You have to be ready by now.”

“Broken hearts don't have a set timeline to heal, Koutarou,” Keiji said gently, bless them for being so understanding.

“I agree with Bokuto,” Hinata twittered cheerfully. “If they make you happy you should go for it, even if it's really scary and you might lose.”

Hinata tilted their head back, beaming up like a ray of sun at Kenma, who managed an honest-to-god smile.

“If Kenma can get over being scared about having feelings after always being romance-repulsed then you can get over feeling scared after a really horrible break-up,” they added with a smile that spread all the way across their face.

“I think we’ve all been afraid to get into our current relationships. I don’t think it’s ever easy or fearless, Kuroo, because it’s something where the stakes are always very high and failing could mean really horrible pain,” Keiji said, nodding in agreement with Hinata from where they sat cross-legged beside Bokuto, rubbing figure eights on his back. “But Kuroo… this person makes you happier than I’ve seen you in so long. Every time you see them, every time they so much as text you, you have the biggest smile on your face.”

“No offense but I think that’s pretty easy for you all to say since all of your relationships turned out just fine,” Kuroo said sourly.

He sighed heavily and slouched further into the sofa.

He hated this. He hated this off-balance line he was walking so precariously. He hated the uncertainty. He hated not knowing. He hated feelings and relationships and his treacherous heart.

“I think you’re looking at this wrong honestly,” Kenma noted again.

“What do you mean, KP?” Kuroo asked, eyes fluttering shut with the exhaustion of it all.

“Well, you’re looking at this like any other relationship, but not all relationships are created equal. I don’t believe in soulmates, of course, or the idea that someone might be ‘made’ for you. But take it from someone who had absolutely no interest in romance for seventeen years, there are some people who come into your life and are just _different_ from everyone else,” Kenma said emphatically, still twirling Hinata’s hair fondly in their fingers. “I don’t think going after Oikawa would be like going after a crush. I think Oikawa is different. I think you two are in a place where it would be big for both of you, where the stakes would be incredibly high from the start.”

Kenma’s eyes twitched to Kuroo’s face for a brief moment, so piercingly intense it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. “Which is why you should do it.”

Kuroo swallowed hard. How could he refute that?

Kenma was right. Kuroo also didn’t buy into the “better half, made-for-you” business, but there were some people who fit so well together it would be close to sinful for them not to be together if they both wanted it. He was already sitting in a room with two perfect examples.

Saeko had been one of those people, really, and she’d tossed him aside like he was an old accessory. He’d never been angry with her for it, for loving her freedom more than him. He couldn’t have made her stay.

He couldn’t make anyone stay.

He just had to trust they would do so if they wanted to.

Kuroo felt his blood moving sluggishly through his veins, viscous and saturated with anxiety.

“Kuroo, don’t think about how hard it’ll be if you break up,” Keiji said fervently. “Think about being _with_ them. That’s what matters. The time you do have, not the time you don’t.”

Kuroo breathed out hard through his nose and thought. Images flickered through his mind, and they weren’t of a blonde bob disappearing into a moving truck with a piece of his heart in her fist; they were of outrageously styled curls bouncing with the tilt of a gorgeous face, of brown eyes full of mischief and something close to affection, of the twitter of a teasing voice cutting through the otherwise complete silence of the bookshelves.

They were thoughts of tracing strong hands with his lips, of waking up and seeing that aggravatingly cute smile in the morning, of taking Oikawa out to dinner and holding their hand in front of other people without giving a shit, of a dark bedroom where the only things were huffing breaths and “Tetsu-chan”.

Why should he give up all of those happinesses for one hypothetical heartbreak?

“I want them,” Kuroo said out loud without really thinking. “I really want them.”

“Then take them, Tetsurou,” Kenma encouraged evenly. “They’re basically throwing themselves at you. There’s nothing but yourself stopping you.”

Kuroo nodded.

“Okay,” he decided. “Okay.”

Kuroo didn’t believe in higher powers, but the moment he said that last, firm “okay”, his phone lit up with a message from Oikawa.

 

**Fri 9/12/16 [CatDad]**

_[22:03] **Noodle-kawa:** Tetsu-chan~~!!_

_[22:03] **Noodle-kawa:** I have a question :)_

[22:04] **CatDad:** Yeah Noodle-kawa?

_[22:05] **Noodle-kawa:** Sooooooo I was thinking_

_[22:05] **Noodle-kawa:** We never go out and do anything_

[22:06] **CatDad:** We get tea or study every day what are you talking about XD

_[22:07] **Noodle-kawa:** Yeah but like… going out, out_

[22:08] **CatDad:** Uhhhh okay…??

_[22:09] **Noodle-kawa:** ;) ;)_

_[22:10] **Noodle-kawa:** I was thinking we could go somewhere though? There’s a really pretty park next my work_

_[22:10] **Noodle-kawa:** We could do that tomorrow instead of tea~~_

[22:11] **CatDad:** Yeah sure :) That actually sounds really nice

_[22:12] **Noodle-kawa:** Yay!!!! :D_

_[22:12] **Noodle-kawa:** You can come by the Cherry and then we can walk there together???_

[22:13] **CatDad:** Sure :)

[22:13] **CatDad:** That’s a really good idea I’m very down with that :) :)

_[22:14] **Noodle-kawa:** :D :D :D_

_[22:14] **Noodle-kawa:** I’ll see you tomorrow then Tetsu-chan???_

_[22:16] **Noodle-kawa:** I get off at 6 instead of 2 if that’s okay_

[22:17] **CatDad:** That works fine :) See you then?

_[22:18] **Noodle-kawa:** See you!!! Goodnight Tetsu-chan~~_

[22:19] **CatDad:** Night Noodle :)

 

Kuroo was buzzing with nervous energy by the time he made his way to the park near the Chocolate Cherry on Saturday. Bokuto had damn near lost his shit when he’d told them that he was about ninety-nine percent sure Oikawa asked him out on a date. He couldn’t be completely sure, but the phrases “we could go somewhere” and “go out” made it difficult to interpret as anything else.

He’d spent over an hour getting himself dressed, with Keiji’s help of course. A navy and cream-striped shirt with little snowflakes patterned between the stripes that hugged him pretty nicely, caramel-colored jeans rolled up to show off his grey combat boots, a light taupe cardigan, all tied together with a hazel knitted scarf. After insisting that Kuroo looked fabulous, piercings and all, Keiji basically shoved him out the door.

Now, as the Cherry came into view, he was alternating sharply between feeling like he might actually throw up and giddy excitement. He wanted to run in the exact opposite direction, go home and never feel a feeling ever again.

Oikawa was already waiting for him outside by the time he arrived. Maybe it was the nerves or the way the sunset was washing a faintly coral-ish hue over everything but they literally took Kuroo’s breath away. In a pair of lightwash overalls rolled up past their ankles, hung loose over a pale rose-colored floral sweater and a dark maroon cardigan, coupled with their gold and opal septum ring and matching earrings, they couldn’t have been playing more into Kuroo’s aesthetic tastes. They were cute. They were downright beautiful.

They looked up from their phone as Kuroo approached, hoping beyond hope that the twilight would hide exactly how flushed he was.

“Hello Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa trilled with pleasant excitement. “You’re looking lovely, as always.”

“Same to you,” Kuroo smirked to hide how jittery he was. “I’m really into those overalls.”

 _Kinda also wishing you were out of those overalls_.

Nope. Not going there.

“Awwww Tetsu-chan is such a charmer,” Oikawa said with a little wave of their hand. They were definitely blushing a little, but Kuroo couldn’t tell if it was authentic or if they were just being playful. He didn’t have time to think about it before Oikawa jerked their head up the road. “Shall we?”

“Sure,” Kuroo said.

They fell into step beside each other. Kuroo thought he might faint, thought about just reaching out for Oikawa’s hand, but he did neither. He just shoved his hands into his pockets and tried really hard not to look at Oikawa.

“How was work?” Kuroo asked, trying his best to maintain a sense of normalcy between them.

“Oh, you know,” Oikawa said with a shrug. “It was fine.”

Their voice sounded faraway, like they were talking to him from across the expanse of grass unraveling beneath their feet. They sounded distracted, like they were lost deep in their own thoughts.

For the first time since they’d met, Kuroo felt awkward. He didn’t know what to do. What he wanted to do. With each passing step his conviction eroded more and more, and he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be sprinting home before this was over.

Oikawa wasn’t speaking either, wasn’t doing anything that might ground him.

 _Focus on the time you do have_.

Kuroo tried to orient himself in his world. They were walking through the park now—a quaint stretch of grass with trees thrown here and there throughout to break up the openness. A huge lake sat in the middle, large enough that there were a sailboats coasting near the opposite shore. It was peaceful, and since the winter air was starting to chill with the dying sun, there weren’t many people.

Neither of them spoke for some time, and Kuroo was becoming more and more uncertain by the minute. Oikawa was walking beside them, the few streaks of color in the sky turning their pale skin a gorgeous array of colors, looking stunning. Like artwork. Too beautiful to touch.

“Is something wrong?” Oikawa asked, breaking into Kuroo’s thoughts with a tone of genuine concern. They stopped on the sidewalk, head tilted a little, blinking confusedly at him. It took a moment for Kuroo to realize he’d been staring.

_No. Of course not. Other than the fact that I'm falling for you really hard and I don't know how to stop. And I'm not sure I want to._

_But I'm really scared._

“I’m fine,” Kuroo lied with a half-smile. “Just tired, you know?”

“Of course,” Oikawa nodded, though they looked far from convinced. “Let’s go sit somewhere so you can rest your elderly joints.”

Kuroo snorted. The two of them made their way to a bench near the lake. The silence continued. Kuroo wanted nothing more than to break it, but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Oikawa wasn’t helping either, and Kuroo knew that the deepening rosiness of their cheeks was born out of the same nerves currently turning Kuroo’s legs to jelly.

They sat down beside each other, close enough that their thighs were millimeters apart. Kuroo felt every nerve standing on end, like if the air touched him wrong he might unravel.

“So,” Oikawa said, voice a little softer than usual. “I um. Can I...there’s something that’s been on my mind.”

Kuroo couldn't have described it even if he wanted to, but he knew for certain what was about to happen and his entire body seized up in panic. All thoughts of before, the promises he'd made to Bokuto and Kenma, were completely obliterated by a rush of dread so intense he felt physically ill.

He’d given his heart up once and gotten it smashed to pieces and he couldn’t do it again.

He couldn't do this. He was wrong, he couldn't do this.

“I've been wanting to ask you something,” Oikawa said, kicking at the bigger pebbles at their feet.

_No._

“And you don't have to answer now but…”

_No no no._

“I really like you Tetsu-chan…”

_Please for the love of god no._

“I'd really like to take you on a date. Like an actual date, not a study date or a tea date or something. Although I wouldn't be totally opposed to a tea date but it has to be a date so. Yeah. Would you like to go on a date with me?”

They looked up at Kuroo and there was something bashful about the color in their cheeks and the simpering smile they wore. Kuroo felt sick just looking at those huge doe eyes filled with anticipation.

Kuroo didn't realize when he'd gotten to his feet. All of a sudden he was standing, tense as a board, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides and very awkwardly not saying a damn thing.

Kuroo's mouth opened and closed like a big dumb fish out of water. His brain was blank. He didn't know what to do. Oikawa was looking at him expectantly, so cute and hopeful but growing more and more worried the longer the silence drew on and Kuroo was standing there like an incompetent fool and he had no clue what to say.

So Kuroo did the only thing he could think to do.

He ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	6. When Worlds Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kittenpie I don’t know what to do. If I were them, I definitely wouldn’t give me a second chance,” Kuroo said despondently, the corners of his eyes prickling.
> 
> “You go back to them,” Kenma said, firm as a brick wall. “You go back to them and you ask for forgiveness. And hope they’re generous enough to give it to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! This chapter has FLUFF and it’s great but there is a fairly graphic depiction of a panic attack so if you need to skip that I’d recommend not reading past Kenma’s message Give me one minute and picking up again around “What happened? I thought you were out with Tooru?”
> 
> Happy reading! :D

**Sat 10/12/16 [CatDad]**

[18:26]  **CatDad:** Kenma please tell me you aren’t busy right now

_ [18:27]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Not really _

_ [18:27]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Are you okay? _

[18:28]  **CatDad:** No

[18:28]  **CatDad:** Tangerine

_ [18:27]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Give me one minute _

 

Kuroo had stopped running right before he sent the text to Kenma—when his legs and lungs were on fire and he wasn’t sure if he’d collapse. He paused by an enormous tree, hands on his knees and dry retching.

He had no idea how far he’d run, where he was or how long he’d been going. His breath was coming in stuttering, panicked spurts, fighting to get through the swelling tunnel of his throat. He was wheezing, feeling like he was being swung in disorienting, dizzying circles on a tilt-o-whirl. The world refused to orient itself, swaying and spinning and flipping and starting to close inwards. He tried to blink away the black spotting his vision but he couldn’t.

Everything was tight and constricting, the humidity in the air choking him as he tried to slow his breathing. He couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but close his eyes and will himself not to pass out.

 

_ [Incoming call from KittenPie] _

 

“Hello? Tetsurou?”

Kenma’s voice was the first grounding thing in his world since he'd started running. It was soft and even and Kuroo wanted to hang on for dear life. Kenma sounded so sure. So  _ real _ . 

It was the first real thing since watching those brown doe eyes blink up at him with all the expectation in the world.

And what had he done with that expectation?

Fucking.

Threw it back in their face and then promptly sprinted away as fast as he could.

Shit, he felt like his breath was laced with mustard gas.

“Tetsurou?” Kenma asked again when Kuroo didn’t speak. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”

“I’m—” Kuroo didn’t know how to answer, and his throat felt like it might close under the stress of holding back panicked, self-loathing tears. “I don’t know. I don’t… Can you just talk? For a bit?”

“Of course I can,” Kenma said calmly, even though Kuroo knew they could hear how fast and shallow his breathing was, how it was tearing his throat and making his voice hoarse. “I’ll just tell you what I’m doing right now until you feel better, okay?”

“O—kay,” Kuroo said, voice cracking through the syllables.

“Okay. Well, I’m with Shouyou right now. We’re watching this movie—I think you would really like it because it has a cat in it—and Shouyou keeps pointing out all of these little nuances in their performances…”

Kenma continued talking about the movie they were watching, about what Shouyou was saying and what they were wearing and all of the little details of Kenma’s environment. Kuroo stopped really paying attention to what Kenma was saying and focused instead on their voice. They had the softest, most even tone in the world—like one of those stones at the bottom of a river worn by years of rushing water.

Kuroo let the sound wash over him in waves, filling his senses until he no longer felt his world trying to eat him alive. The rustling of the leaves became softer, the cool night air soothing his searing hot skin, the smell of fresh grass and flowers and trees cleansing his throat and nose and making it easier for him to breathe. 

He was okay. If Kenma was here, he was okay. Nothing was harming him right now. He was safe. 

When Kuroo opened his eyes again, the park was thankfully still and mostly silent. He could breathe again. He could think.

He could reflect on what a  _ huge fucking douche canoe _ he’d been.

“Tetsurou? Do you need me to keep going?” Kenma asked when Kuroo had been silent for quite a while.

“No you’re okay Kittenpie. Thanks,” Kuroo replied in a voice that still sounded a little disembodied.

“What happened? I thought you were out with Tooru,” Kenma said in a voice framed with a thin veil of concern.

“I am. Er, I was,” Kuroo managed. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to get his thoughts in a coherent order. “I ran away.”

“You… ran away?” Kenma asked slowly, voice crackling with static.

Kuroo swallowed. He felt his heart rate accelerate again but he fought it down. He had to think. He had to fix this.

He was so scared he’d driven them away.

“Yeah. I just… they asked me out and I just ran away. I ran away and now I don’t know where I am and they probably  _ hate _ me right now. Fuck… Kenma they probably hate me and never want to see me again and I’ve ruined everything and—”

“Tetsurou breathe,” Kenma interrupted firmly. “Take a deep breath and explain what happened.”

Kuroo nodded, even though he knew that Kenma couldn’t see him. He breathed in deep through his nose, filling his lungs, everything in his body coming to a temporary standstill. His heart rate slowed and he felt a bit of clarity in the fog of his thoughts.

“I’m pathetic Kenma,” he said softly, leaning against the tree.

“You aren’t pathetic,” Kenma said. “What happened? Oikawa asked you out and you ran away?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo said creakily. “I just… I didn’t even give them an answer. I just literally ran away. I don’t even really know where I ended up. I kind of… blacked out or something. I don’t know.”

“Sounds like you had a panic attack,” Kenma said calmly. “Were you sweating? Was it difficult to breathe?”

“Is that was that was?” Kuroo chuckled bitterly. “I think you’re right, KP.”

He sank to the ground, head in his hands, fighting back tears. The implications of what he’d done were hitting him like a bus.

“I fucked up Kittenpie,” Kuroo muttered thickly. “I really fucked up.”

“Did you leave them behind?” Kenma asked.

“I think so. I don’t… I don’t even know if they’re still here.”

There was a moment of silence and Kuroo knew Kenma was thinking. He doubted Oikawa was still in the park. The sun had set, the park lamps were on, and the sky was quickly giving way to black.

Even if Oikawa still was there, Kuroo doubted they’d want to see him. Kuroo doubted they’d ever want to so much as talk to him again. His dumbass move hadn’t just cost him a potential lover, it had cost him a friend. A friend he felt closer to than the time they’d spent together likely warranted.

“Why am I like this Kenma,” Kuroo grumbled when Kenma didn’t say anything.

“Emotional trauma,” Kenma said easily, like it was obvious. “You know that, Kuroo.”

“I knowwww,” Kuroo groaned, grabbing a handful of his hair. “But still.”

He couldn’t believe he’d actually physically run out of there. He was a  _ coward _ . A pathetic fucking  _ coward _ .

It didn’t even really matter what Oikawa thought of him at this point. He didn’t deserve them.

“Kittenpie I don’t know what to do. If I were them, I definitely wouldn’t give me a second chance,” Kuroo said despondently, the corners of his eyes prickling.

“You go back to them,” Kenma said, firm as a brick wall. “You go back to them and you ask for forgiveness. And hope they’re generous enough to give it to you.”

“I can’t,” Kuroo argued. “I can’t face them Kittenpie.”

“Yes you can, and you will,” Kenma replied.

Kuroo was silent for a moment. He’d screwed up. Bad. He wasn’t sure this was something he could fix.

“What do I say?” he asked in a voice so small he wasn’t sure Kenma could hear him.

“You have to explain what happened,” Kenma said. “Even if they don’t forgive you, they deserve to know why you ran out on them like that. You owe them that, Tetsurou.”

Kuroo couldn’t argue. He was scared. He was scared beyond belief of seeing the anger and hurt in Oikawa’s eyes he was sure he’d put there. Even so, he’d been flirting with them, he’d been leading them to believe Kuroo wanted this too. Which he did, but he obviously was just too dumb to actually go for it.

“I’m a coward, Kenma,” Kuroo said tearfully. “They… I don’t know if I want them to forgive me at this point.”

“You aren’t a coward, Tetsurou. You’re just a man who is very, very romantically damaged,” Kenma said. They paused for a moment, the static drawling on like a judgement on Kuroo’s character, before they continued. “I don’t think it’s fair for you to dictate the terms of their forgiveness. If they don’t want to forgive you, they won’t. But they like you, Tetsurou, and they care about you. It isn’t your job to decide for them what they want.”

Kuroo grunted. Sometimes he hated being friends with Kenma. They never made things easy for him. 

“You’re right.”

“I know.”

Kuroo took another series of deep breaths, rubbing the dampness from his eyes. It didn’t really work, especially when he said, “I don’t want to lose them. I… I don’t even want to think about losing them, Kenma. What happens… if they don’t forgive me?”

“Then we’ll figure it out. But you won’t know unless you talk to them.”

Kuroo nodded again, mostly to himself. “Okay. I’ll see if they’re still in the park.”

“Good idea,” Kenma said in that gentle, calming, toneless voice of theirs. “Let me know how it goes.”

“I will,” Kuroo promised, and hung up his phone.

It took almost five full minutes for him to decide on a coherent series of messages to send, and another two for his shaking hands to type out discernable words. He held his breath as he pressed send, and waited.

 

**[CatDad]**

[18:42]  **CatDad:** Okay so I would completely understand if you never want to talk to me ever again or like even think about me

[18:42]  **CatDad:** I kind of want to disappear off the face of the earth right now

[18:43]  **CatDad:** But I’ve been leading you on and I know that and I owe you an explanation for running away

[18:43]  **CatDad:** Fuckkkk I’m an idiot I’m the biggest fucking idiot like if you want to ignore me forever that’s totally understandable but I want to explain I really do

[18:44]  **CatDad:** I’m not expecting any kind of forgiveness

[18:44]  **CatDad:** Ugh shit sorry for the text spam I’m just fucking nervous

[18:44]  **CatDad:** Are you still around? Could we meet up?

[18:45]  **CatDad:** I’m so fucking sorry like I cannot communicate over text how sorry

_ [18:47]  _ **_Noodle-kawa:_ ** _ I’m still here. _

_ [18:47]  _ **_Noodle-kawa:_ ** _ By the bench. _

[18:48]  **CatDad:** Can I come find you? It might take a minute I have no idea where the fuck I am

_ [18:48]  _ **_Noodle-kawa:_ ** _ Ok _

[18:49]  **CatDad:** Okay. Thank you. I’m just…

[18:50]  **CatDad:** Fuck. I’m so sorry.

[18:51]  **CatDad:** I’ll be there soon.

 

Kuroo had to Google a route from his location to the ice cream shop to find his way back to Oikawa. He’d managed to end up about a half a mile away from the bench, almost at the edge of the park. His legs were made of jelly as he walked back, fighting back the bile rising in his throat. He wouldn’t do anyone any favors by throwing up.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to say when he faced Oikawa again. How did he explain it in a way that would help Oikawa to forgive him? Or at least not actively hate him?

His poor heart pulsed painfully as he came up on the bench, looking at the back of Oikawa’s head. They didn’t look up as Kuroo sat as far away from them on the bench as he possibly could.

“Hi,” he said, and even that single word made his dry voice crack.

“Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa replied curtly.

They sat stiffly upright, fists balled on their thighs, kicking the ground. He saw damp marks on their overalls that were almost certainly from tears. They didn’t seem to be crying anymore, but their face was mostly hidden behind their hair.

Kuroo wanted to punch himself. He’d made them cry.

He deserved to be thrown right into the trash and then sent off the edge of a waterfall.

“So,” Oikawa said when Kuroo remained stupidly silent. “I asked you if you’d like to go on a date with me and then you ran away, which is by the way the most ridiculous thing I think I have  _ ever _ seen.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo agreed. “Yeah I just… I wanted to say yes, I promise, but I couldn’t. I got scared and I just didn’t know what to do and I blacked out a bit but I couldn’t say yes and I couldn’t say no and I just… I couldn’t… I panicked.”

Kuroo gritted his teeth. This wasn't how he wanted this to go, but he couldn't stop these stupid feelings coming out of his stupid mouth.

"Look, if you aren't interested that's fine," Oikawa said firmly. "It's really, really fine. I just... I want to know."

"I'm not not interested," Kuroo said unhelpfully.

"But you aren't... Interested?" Oikawa asked in a stony voice. It was utterly emotionless and Kuroo panicked even more because it was probably the worst sounding succession of words he'd ever heard. He never wanted to hear that voice again and he needed to stop it right now.

"No, no I am interested," he insisted. "I just... It's complicated."

Oikawa sniffed, turning away from Kuroo.

"It's never complicated," they said tersely. "'Complicated' is just a cover up from something else. Fear usually, or disinterest."

Kuroo didn't know what to say to that. He wanted Oikawa to look at him. He needed to see their eyes, to read what they were feeling. He needed more.

"Well. It feels complicated to me. So."

Oikawa turned back to him and now Kuroo almost wished they hadn't. They looked so  _ cold _ . There was nothing but pain and an edge as sharp as a machete in their eyes.

"I wish you'd tell me," they said. "You aren't obligated to me at all but... I want to know. What's so complicated it would keep you from taking something you obviously want that's being handed to you on a silver platter."

Oikawa's words sunk into Kuroo's chest like an iced-over knife. He was sure it even cracked a few ribs on its way to piercing his heart. They didn't really seem to care, though. They just stared at him blandly, with a totally lineless face, lips that refused to move at all from where they were pressed firmly together.

Kuroo couldn't stand to look at them. He drew his knees up to his chest, burying his face there and grabbing fistfuls of his own hair.

He wanted so fucking badly to tell them what he was thinking, but it was hard. It was hard because he wasn't even sure himself what he was thinking. He only knew that he was terrified.

But he did owe Oikawa something. They'd grown so close, they both wanted each other, and Oikawa deserved to know why Kuroo ran away.

"I was engaged once."

What a way to start. It was also a lie, so he started over before Oikawa could comment.

"Well, I wasn't exactly engaged, but I thought I was going to be."

"I'm not following," Oikawa said shortly.

"I don't... It's a story and I don't know if you care to hear it,” Kuroo said, though he wasn’t sure whether he was saying it for Oikawa or for himself.

"I want to hear it," they replied instantly. "I kind of need to."

"Okay."

Kuroo took a deep breath as he ordered his thoughts in a mostly coherent fashion and begged his body not to make him cry. 

Digging up those memories was one of the worst things Kuroo had to do. He expected it to be messy and hot and passionate, to be just like his and Saeko’s love, but it wasn’t. It was a barren, empty box filled with cold, emotionless memories stored in the attic of Kuroo’s mind. When he cracked it open, it just reminded him of why he’d stashed it there in the first place; out of sight where no one else could reach it. 

"It was this woman I dated for a long time. Her name was Saeko and she... She was fucking... Something else, let me tell you. A goddamn force of nature. She came rolling into my life—literally rolling over my foot—on a motorcycle with a leather jacket and ripped jeans and I was done. I was down for the count, you know?"

Kuroo paused, waiting for Oikawa to say they did or didn't know, but they were silent. They stared blandly at him, and Kuroo hadn’t known that those soft brown eyes could bore into him like that. Kuroo looked away and sighed before continuing.

"She was older than me by about three years. Fixed fucking airplane engines for a living. I was wrapped around her finger so tight and I... God it was so  _ stupid _ but I thought we were meant for each other. She got me. She didn't care that she was dating the most effeminate bisexual man to ever hit Tokyo. She didn't care that I'm kind of fucked up and definitely more than a little bit of an asshole. She just... And the  _ sex _ , good lord. She had my heart in a handbasket. I thought... I was planning on proposing to her. Picked out a ring and everything."

Kuroo's eyes were betraying him, growing damp and prickly. His voice was hoarse and the story sounded stupid being said with it but it was how it was happening and there was really nothing Kuroo could do about it.

"What happened?" Oikawa asked in the same emotionless voice.

"She moved. To Germany,” Kuroo explained bitterly. “Fucking Germany. Got a job fixing their military planes."

"But... You didn't go with her?" Oikawa finally, finally had a slight softness in their voice now, a cushion to protect Kuroo from the edges. He thought he might actually cry.

"No. She didn't want me to."

"Why?"

"I loved her more,” Kuroo said, and he couldn’t stop the wetness in his eyes from overflowing. He tried to ignore it. “She loved me, she definitely loved me, but I loved her more. She wasn't ready to settle down at all. Which was fine. I would have waited if she'd let me, but it was too much for her I think. She didn't really like getting attached, and I was an attachment." Kuroo shrugged. "It was fine. I'm glad she made the right choice for her."

Oikawa didn't say anything when Kuroo paused this time. They'd looked away again, playing with a stick on the ground and looking pensive. Kuroo, in turn, watched a sailboat crossing the other side of the lake. He tried to isolate the person on the bow, but it was too far away to see anyone. Almost like it was moving on its own.

"So, you told yourself you wouldn't fall in love again or something? To protect yourself from being hurt?" Oikawa summarized.

Kuroo shook his head.

"Sort of. It isn’t that I wasn’t going to fall in love again but... Like..." Kuroo struggled to put words into his reasoning, into this deep-seated feeling that took root in Kuroo's chest after Saeko left him. He recalled a conversation with her and tried to explain. 

 

_ “I just...I love you,” Kuroo managed, swallowing so hard it hurt. “I don’t...this isn’t what I want.” _

_ “I love you too,” the woman said. “I love you, but…” _

_ Saeko held Kuroo’s gaze, firm and calculating and if it weren’t for the betraying twitch of her upper lip, emotionless. _

_ “What?” Kuroo asked, trying to keep a steady voice. “But what? What’s keeping you from me?” _

_ “Loving you is… it’s really hard, Kuroo,” Saeko said. Kuroo visibly flinched at the use of his surname—something those beautifully scarlet lips hadn’t said in a very long time.  _

_ “I don’t understand,” Kuroo replied. “I don’t understand what you mean. What about me is hard to love? I gave you… fuck Saeko, I gave you everything you could have asked for. I loved you in every way I could think of. Was it not enough? Was it the sex? Just… fucking tell me so I can fix it.” _

_ Kuroo’s voice sounded like it was grating from vocal cords made of sandpaper. Shallow. Scratchy. Dead. _

_ “No,” Saeko said with a stubborn harshness only she could manage. “No. It was more than enough, and that’s the problem.” _

_ “I don’t understand,” Kuroo repeated. _

_ “It’s too much, Kuroo,” she insisted, almost shouting. “I’ve never met anyone who feels like you. Who feels as deep as you. I don’t think anyone else could take it, to be honest. It’s like trying to love the sun.” _

_ She took in a deep breath, that inhale sucking all of the air out of Kuroo’s body, before turning away from him, and shredding a piece of Kuroo’s heart between the talons of her nails.  _

 

Kuroo's eyes were still wet as he finished telling his story. He tried to rub it away with his sleeve but what he actually managed to do was to smear damp all over the arches of his cheeks.

Oikawa was thinking again, drawing patternless shapes into the dirt. Kuroo hated the crackling silence strung taut between them. He wanted to break it. He thought about saying something else but he couldn't think of anything to say. He just had to wait for Oikawa to break it instead.

"That's fucking stupid."

Kuroo blinked. Oikawa finally looked up at him and they looked almost angry.

"Not your story or anything," they clarified. "Your story makes sense. Your reasoning is kind of dumb but the story makes sense. What's  _ stupid _ is someone blaming you for being an emotional person because they couldn't match it. That isn't fair. That's just selfish."

Kuroo had no idea how to reply to that. He sat there with wide eyes and a brain that seemed to be jammed on its own rusty gears.

"It's selfish," Oikawa thankfully continued, "because that's who you are. Who the fuck cares if you feel really intensely? If you feel in a big, meaningful way? No one should ever shame you for that, Kuroo. It's one of the reasons I like you so much."

Those last few words were like a lifeline, and fuck Kuroo if he was going to let them go. 

"Really?" Kuroo asked. 

" _ Yes _ ," Oikawa said emphatically. They sounded exasperated, but also a little relieved. "Oh my god  _ yes _ . It's fucking... It's fucking beautiful is what it is goddammit. This planet is so cynical and shitty and dead inside and the fact that you're someone who feels emotions the way you do is just... The world would be a better place if people felt like you."

Kuroo was past tears at this point. He was muddled up in a mixture of surprise and a big, very Kuroo-y emotion he couldn't put a name to. Oikawa looked up, eyes digging into Kuroo with ferocity, hands clasped in their lap.

"Look. If you don't want to date me because you don't feel that way that's fine,” they said, and their voice was wavering a little. “But if you don't want to date me because you're scared because of what someone in your past told you to make excuses for just being a bad person then I'm sorry but that's fucking stupid and it isn't fair."

Oikawa’s hand was working their right knee, kneading the joint as they stared at Kuroo. There was a crease in their brow that Kuroo absolutely hated, an upward curl of their lip and nose that cut the gentleness out of their eyes, turning their face into angled lines of sourness.

"It's unfair to you to ignore your feelings and it's unfair to me because it's pretentious as hell."

"Pretentious?" Kuroo managed thickly.

"Yeah, because you do feel bigger than most people but you're also assuming that your feelings are bigger than mine and I can tell you for a fact that isn't true," Oikawa said gratingly.

They took a deep breath, still massaging their knee. Their jaw was jumping, eyes scanning all over Kuroo’s face. Kuroo didn’t know what they were looking for but he was pretty sure the only things they would see were panic and fear. 

Oikawa exhaled, blowing out some of the rigid distaste in their mouth and eyes. Their face softened a little. Some of the familiar affection Kuroo had noticed was reserved for him alone shimmered back in their gaze. They still looked frustrated, their mouth still angled downwards, but at least they didn’t look angry anymore. 

Had they found what they were looking for? 

Oikawa scooted a little closer to him. They reached out like they were going to touch him, but they seemed to think better of it and rested their hand on the bench beside Kuroo instead.

"I'm about the polar opposite of you, Kuroo," Oikawa said a little more gently. "I don't do feelings that often. They're a lot. I don't get attached, like, ever. I have two people in my life that'd I'd trust with all of myself and that's Iwa and Suga. I’ve known Mattsun and Makki for years and I still don’t open up to them a lot. So when I do feel things it's pretty monumental for me. I feel it loud and I feel it hard and I feel it just as intensely as you do."

_ Just as intensely as you do _ .

Kuroo wanted to refute them, but he couldn’t. Not with the conviction written into every line of their face. Not with the way they stared at him like their life depended on it.

The only thing he could do was believe them.

"What I'm going to do now is I'm going to ask you again,” Oikawa continued, “and I want you to really think about your answer. I don't care if it's a yes or a no. Well, okay, I can't say I don't  _ care _ obviously, but I'm not expecting you to say one or the other. I just... When you say it I don't want it to be for anyone but you. Not for me, not for Saeko, not for anyone else, but for you."

Kuroo nodded. He wasn't very good at thinking about what he wanted. Kuroo liked it much better when everyone around him was happy even if it left him kind of less than happy. He didn't often do things just for him.

But when he did, when he really thought about himself and what he wanted… the answer was effortless. It was already there, he just had to verbalize it. 

"I want you," he said simply. "That's what I want. I want you."

Oikawa's face broke into a smile. They started laughing, laughing so hard their shoulders trembled and their head fell forward.

"Thank god," they mumbled.  

Kuroo laughed a little too, but he wasn't sure why. At the absurdity of it all, probably.

Oikawa reached out and took Kuroo’s hand, linking their fingers together. They both tensed, like Oikawa hadn’t been thinking about it and Kuroo hadn’t been expecting it. Their eyes locked again, and Kuroo felt it—that swell in his chest, the way it felt like there was no one else in the world but the two of them, the way his heart felt like it was trying to reach out as grasp at something beyond his body.

Something that still scared the shit out of him, but he didn’t care. He wanted Oikawa more than he was afraid.

Kuroo reached forward to take Oikawa's chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting their face up so he could see their eyes. They were so big, so beautiful.

"I want to kiss you," Kuroo whispered. "I really, really want to kiss you."

"Then kiss me," Oikawa said in a voice that was gentle and wanting and breathy, so Kuroo did.

He leaned forward and pressed their lips together, just enough to make contact. Close enough to smell something warm and inviting on them but not enough to taste it.

It was probably the most chaste kiss he'd given since high school, but it seemed right. Necessary.

He pulled away after only a few fleeting seconds, but Oikawa chased him. They knotted a hand in his hair and pulled him back towards them. They were so close Oikawa's breath tickled his skin, but they didn't bring their lips together.

"I… I want..." Oikawa seemed to be struggling for words for the first time since Kuroo met them. He couldn't help but chuckle because he knew what they wanted and  _ fuck _ , he wanted it too.

"I got you," Kuroo smiled before bringing their mouths together again. This time he slotted them together, settling himself around Oikawa's bottom lip. He couldn't stop himself from tasting this time.

They tasted  _ divine _ , fruity and tart and like the warm, living breath of a person.

The slick of Kuroo's tongue across Oikawa's bottom lip made them inhale sharply through their nose. They didn’t hesitate to return the gesture, to slide their tongue into Kuroo’s mouth and lick.

Kuroo pulled away, partially because even that small amount of contact left him breathless, partially because if he kept kissing Oikawa he was sure he was going to start making noises not suitable for public. He released Oikawa, but they just moved to rest their chin on Kuroo’s shoulder instead. They let out a shaky, breathy laugh.

“Well,” they said, looking up at Kuroo with warmth back in their eyes, thank god. “This was how I was hoping the evening would end.”

“Yeah?” Kuroo asked with a grin, reaching out to stroked Oikawa’s cheek with his thumb. “Was it everything you were hoping for?”

“I imagined it with significantly less angst,” they replied cheekily and Kuroo chuckled. “But the kiss itself was lovely.”

Oikawa turned away from him, head still resting on his shoulder, looking content as they stared at the lake reflecting the first shimmers of moonlight. Kuroo followed their gaze as he watched the sailboat from before as it docked. They sat in silence for a while, fingers still entwined. The water on the lake glistened the darker the night sky became, like stars trapped in the ripples.

“Tetsu-chan?” Oikawa said after a while. Kuroo turned his head to the side, but Oikawa was still looking out at the lake.

“Yes?”

“I know I just asked you on a date, and I know you're scared about all of this but…” their voice tapered off and their grip around Kuroo's hand tightened. “I just want to let you know that I'd really like it to be more than just one date.”

“I'd like that too,” Kuroo agreed, placing a kiss on the top of their head.

Oikawa batted him away playfully, a smile tugging their mouth upwards. “Don't mess up my hair.”

“I thought it was cute,” Kuroo pouted. “Are you really that vain about your hair?”

“I don't like people touching my hair,” they said seriously, still grinning.

“Alright, alright. I guess I'll just have to make do with this then.” Kuroo leaned forward and pecked Oikawa on the cheek instead. He lingered there just long enough to feel warmth blooming beneath his lips.

When he pulled away, their eyes followed him, sparkling again and Kuroo… Kuroo was really, thoroughly fucked considering the reaction that small gesture gave him.

“I think I can live with that substitute,” Oikawa said.

“I'm glad.”

Oikawa nodded, then blinked. Their eyes narrowed and they looked like they were thinking hard about something. It was probably impolite to stare but Kuroo couldn’t have cared less. He wanted to know what Oikawa’s face looked like wearing every expression in the spectrum of human emotion.

“Tetsu-chan?” they asked again after a moment.

“Present.”

“Nerd,” Oikawa snorted affectionately. “I was just… wondering. Does this mean we're dating? If we're both planning on going on more than just one date.”

Kuroo smiled warmly. “I think so.”

“Then does that mean… does that mean you're my boyfriend?” Kuroo couldn't help but laugh, earning him a well-deserved pout from Oikawa. “What?”

“Are you gonna ask me to go steady? Take you out for a milkshake and fries and holding hands?” Kuroo teased.

“You're mean,” Oikawa pouted even deeper. “Although I wouldn't be opposed to all that.”

“Me neither,” Kuroo agreed. “And I wouldn't be opposed to being called your boyfriend either.”

Kuroo gave their hand a squeeze, loving the way the he could feel years of experience in each calloused knuckle. Oikawa shifted even closer to him, pressing their thighs together, and Kuroo felt a surge of heat shock his body. 

He wanted to kiss them again. The feeling of wanting, of wanting someone so badly in every way made Kuroo’s legs tighten in fear but he didn’t care. Oikawa was the most gorgeous person he’d ever met. Oikawa was funny and smart and so selective about who they let into their life. They were an  _ ass _ , but they were also so beautifully imperfect Kuroo wanted to learn every flaw, every way in which Oikawa was so different from all the other people on the planet.

Kuroo wanted to learn how on earth Oikawa had been the person to break through the shell he’d been making for his broken heart over the past year.

He satisfied himself for the time being with bringing their lips together again. Oikawa kissed him back just as hard, one hand coming up to cup Kuroo's jaw. The touch was so soft, so  _ safe _ , that Kuroo unlocked their lips just to lean into Oikawa fingers. 

Oikawa didn't protest. They looked gently into his eyes and stroked his cheek. 

“Are you sure about all of this? It isn't too fast for you?” Oikawa asked with a bit of genuine concern.

“I've been pretty much daydreaming constantly about being your boyfriend for weeks so. No. I don't think it's too fast, Noodle-kawa.”

“Well I had to make sure, considering you actually ran the hell away from me when all I did was ask you on a date,” Oikawa retorted.

“Fair,” Kuroo relented. “So if I'm your boyfriend what does that make you?”

“Your boyfriend, of course,” Oikawa said easily.

“Are you comfortable with that?”

“Well considering there isn't really a gender-neutral term that I enjoy that's similar, and I'd like everyone to know how really fucking gay we are, yeah. I'm comfortable.”

Oikawa closed their eyes and stuck out their tongue, just like in the first photo they'd sent him. Kuroo replied in kind and the two of them laughed again, then sighed contentedly.

It might have been fast, but Kuroo wasn't thinking about speed or expectation. His fears weren't gone, the scars from his last breakup would definitely need more time to heal, but they were nothing compared to the bliss Kuroo felt in that moment. Nothing when he thought about giving his heart away to this person beside him: beautiful and snarky and wonderful.

Kuroo didn't think people were made for each other anymore. Not because he was a cynic (well, maybe a bit), but because it was a disservice to a relationship. A disservice to the dedication and commitment it took to be with someone. Love wasn't fate: it was a choice. Which made it so much better in the end—both parties actively working and wanting and not just relying on destiny.

Not that Kuroo could say he loved Oikawa. Not yet. That was just a bit much for his weakened heart.

But it was easy to imagine that someday he would be ready.

Yeah. He was sure that day would come.

Oikawa's phone cut into that trail of ridiculously sappy thoughts as it vibrated against Kuroo's leg. Oikawa shuffled, trying to maintain as much contact as possible as they wrestled to retrieve it.

“It's probably Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said as they lit up the screen and swiped in their password. “He might be worried. Yep, he's worried.”

“Is it past curfew? Do I need to get you home?” Kuroo smirked, hoping to hide his very real disappointment. 

“Only if you kiss me at the door like a gentleman,” Oikawa smirked. “But no. I called him in a bit of a… well. I was very understandably upset when you  _ ran away _ so I think he's just checking up on me.”

“You're never gonna let that go, are you?” Kuroo frowned.

“Nope.”

Kuroo sighed as Oikawa typed away a response to their friend, settling back against the bench. It was probably getting late but Kuroo couldn't be bothered. He wouldn't mind staying out all night if it meant he got time with Oikawa.

He took out his phone to text Kenma too. They'd never admit it but he was sure they were probably still worried about him.

 

**[CatDad]**

[21:34]  **CatDad:** I'll be home late tonight KP

_ [21:35]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Is everything okay? _

[21:35]  **CatDad:** Very :)

[21:36]  **CatDad:** We kissed. We're a thing now. It's all good

_ [21:36]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ I'm very happy for you _

_ [21:38]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ By the way Shouyou is staying over tonight. They're passed out on the sofa so don't freak out when you see them _

[21:39]  **CatDad:** Oh? Are they in trouble or something?

_ [21:39]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ No _

_ [21:39]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ They fell asleep watching a movie and they looked too cute for me to wake them up _

[21:40]  **CatDad:** That's gayyyyyyy

_ [21:40]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ -_- _

[21:41]  **CatDad:** Do you want me to bring them to bed when I get home?

_ [21:42]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ No, I don't want to disturb them. They'll be fine on the sofa. They sleep like a rock _

[21:42]  **CatDad:** Okay :)

[21:43]  **CatDad:** Do you want someone to sleep with you?

_ [21:44]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ If you'd like _

_ [21:44]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ As long as we actually sleep and you don't keep me awake all night talking about Oikawa _

[21:45]  **CatDad:** I can make no promises

_ [21:45]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Then not tonight _

[21:45]  **CatDad:** Ugh fine whatever XP

_ [21:46]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ I'm going to sleep now _

_ [21:46]  _ **_KittenPie:_ ** _ Goodnight. Get home safe. If you sleep at Oikawa's please let me know _

[21:47]  **CatDad:** I'll be coming home but thanks :)

[21:47]  **CatDad:** Night KP

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

_ [21:33]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Hey. Haven't heard from you in a while. Making sure you're not dead or sobbing in a dark alley somewhere. _

[21:33]  **TooruBelieves:** I'm very alive Iwa-chan~~

[21:34]  **TooruBelieves:** Though your concern is touching  <3

_ [21:35]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Did he come back and end up groveling at your feet for forgiveness? _

[21:35]  **TooruBelieves:** Iwa-chan is so dramatic!

_ [21:36]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ You're the one who very firmly said that was the only reason you ever wanted to see him again _

_ [21:36]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ “On his knees in the mud” was your exact wording _

[21:37]  **TooruBelieves:** Oh I'm sure I'll have him on his knees in no time ;D

_ [21:38]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ You're nasty _

[21:39]  **TooruBelieves:** Yeah but I don't care

_ [21:39]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ You're a shitty person _

_ [21:40]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ I take it everything is good then? _

[21:41]  **TooruBelieves:** More than good :)

[21:42]  **TooruBelieves:** He agreed to be my BOYFRIEND even Iwa-chan!!! :D

_ [21:42]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Riveting _

[21:43]  **TooruBelieves:** You're so mean :(

_ [21:44]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ I'm just overwhelmed with my happiness for you -_- _

[21:44]  **TooruBelieves:** XP

_ [21:44]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Whatever _

_ [21:45]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Congrats _

_ [21:45]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ I'm going to sleep now _

[21:46]  **TooruBelieves:** Goodnight you terrible best friend :D

_ [21:47]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Goodnight worst person I've ever met :D _

 

Kuroo was off his phone and staring out at the water when Oikawa closed their phone again. They didn't say anything, content to just look at him for a moment. His high cheekbones glistened in the moonlight, lips slanting comfortably. He was honestly so attractive, even if Oikawa was still a bit mad at him for running off.

Maybe not really mad. He was too cute. And they were too happy. 

Kuroo must have felt their eyes on him because he turned back to them, brow arched. “How's he doing? Does he hate me yet?”

“You're probably on his shit list but he'll get over it,” Oikawa shrugged. “I am a little tired though and this bench isn't doing anything good for my ass.”

“Do you want me to walk you home and kiss you at the door?” Kuroo teased gently, but there was some sincerity there that Oikawa delighted in.

“I would love that, actually,” Oikawa replied.

They walked the half-mile back to Oikawa's apartment together, fingers still laced together, so close their shoulders kept bumping into each other. Kuroo did end up kissing them at the door, and since there weren't any people around they threw caution a bit to the wind.

One kiss turned into several kisses, and flicks over the lips turned into tongues entwined, mouths hungry and needy. Kuroo's hand snaked around Oikawa's back, the other cupping their cheek. Oikawa buried both of theirs in Kuroo's hair, pleased to find that it was as bristly as it looked but still nice and soft.

When they finally broke apart, they were both red in the face and breathing a little too hard.

“I should run away more often if you're going to kiss me like that before I leave,” Kuroo said slyly, both hands coming to rest on Oikawa's hips.

“If you run away again I'm kicking your ass to the curb.”

Kuroo laughed loudly and uninhibited. The kiss  _ had _ been wonderful though. Wonderful enough that Oikawa briefly entertained the idea of inviting Kuroo inside.

They pushed that away for now. Some other time.

“We'll plan our date tomorrow, yeah?” Kuroo said as he descended the steps leading up to Oikawa's apartment.

“Of course Tetsu-chan,” Oikawa assured. “Bye-bye! Have a lovely night.”

“You too,” Kuroo smiled back with a wave. “And sorry again. For the running thing.”

“You'll make it up to me I'm sure.”

Kuroo chuckled and turned his back to walk down the street. Oikawa watched him longer than was necessary, until the darkness consumed him and they could no longer see him.

Momo greeted Oikawa at the door to their apartment with a very disgruntled meow. She did that any time they came home too late. They felt like they were breaking curfew as she wove in and out of their legs.

She would never give it up until Oikawa scooped her up in their arms and gave her a few scratches behind her ear for good measure. She purred happily and then jumped out of their arms, satisfied.

Oikawa was exhausted from crying and being emotionally pummeled into a pulp. They barely had the energy to slip into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt they absolutely had not stolen from Iwa-chan, before they slipped into bed. Their eyes had just fluttered shut when a message lit up the screen. Grumbling, Oikawa flicked it open anyway. They grinned when they saw the sender, though, tucking both hands up to answer.

 

**[TooruBelieves]**

_ [22:31]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Hey :) _

_ [22:33]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Sorry if I woke you up but I just wanted to say that tonight was still really great for me even though I was an ass _

[22:34]  **TooruBelieves:** Tonight was great :) and you didn't wake me. I was just about to fall asleep

_ [22:34]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Oh sorry I can leave you be then :) _

[22:35]  **TooruBelieves:** No no I'm okay

[22:35]  **TooruBelieves:** I might fall asleep though XD

_ [22:36]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Lol okay you silly human _

_ [22:37]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Can I just say… that I really, REALLY liked kissing you _

_ [22:37]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Probably too much _

[22:38]  **TooruBelieves:** I loved kissing you :)

[22:39]  **TooruBelieves:** I hope I get to do it again soon~~

_ [22:40]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Me too :) _

_ [22:41]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ I want to see you again _

_ [22:42]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ I just got home and I want to see you again how pathetic is that XP _

[22:43]  **TooruBelieves:** Not too pathetic ;)

[22:43]  **TooruBelieves:** I wanna see you too

[22:44]  **TooruBelieves:** We'll plan our date as soon as possible okay Tetsu-chan?

_ [22:45]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Sounds good :) _

[22:46]  **TooruBelieves:** I'm going to sleep but I'll text you okay?

_ [22:46]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Okay :) _

[22:47]  **TooruBelieves:** Goodnight Tetsu-chan!!! :)

_ [22:48]  _ **_Tetsu-chan:_ ** _ Goodnight Noodle :) _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	7. Gravity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God, Kuroo could imagine kissing Tooru forever. Their chapstick tasted phenomenal, their tongue firm and knowing as it licked inside his mouth. When Kuroo nipped at Tooru’s lower lip, they drew in a high-pitched, shuddering breath. It urged him on, compelled him to wrap his arms around their waist and pull them flush against him. Tooru carded a hand in Kuroo’s bedhead and tugged hard enough to coax out a quiet, involuntary whimper.
> 
> All of Kuroo’s nerves were awake and alert. He could feel Tooru’s chest heave as they kissed him, their skin burning beneath their shirt. He was about half a second away from sliding a knee between Tooru’s thighs right in that very open doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed to using “Tooru” in narration. It feels a lot more intimate to me and it honestly just flows better soooooooo  
> I wish I had more explanation that that, hopefully it isn’t too jarring :)

**Sun 11/12/16 [CatDad]**

_[9:10]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Tetsu-chan! :D_

 _[9:11]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Have you had your morning coffee yet or are you going to be mean to me :P_

[9:11] **CatDad:** Drinking it as we speak :)

[9:13] **CatDad:** Also… did I have a horrific fever dream last night or did you really ask me out and I ran away and now we're dating?

 _[9:15]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That was 100% absolutely for real_

[9:16] **CatDad:** Thank god XD

 _[9:16]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You even agreed to be my boyfriend :D_

[9:17] **CatDad:** Right because we're high schoolers apparently

 _[9:17]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Nothing wrong with a good consensual label Tetsu :) :)_

[9:17] **CatDad:** Oh geez

[9:18] **CatDad:** Don't do that

 _[9:18]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Do what? Call you my boyfriend??_

[9:18] **CatDad:** No no please do that forever

[9:19] **CatDad:** I was talking about the name thing

 _[9:20]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I do that all the time???_

[9:21] **CatDad:** No you have to put the -chan at the end

 _[9:22]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Do I? I thought you hated that XD_

[9:22] **CatDad:** Yeah well

[9:22] **CatDad:** It's worse when you use my name

 _[9:24]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Oh??_

[9:24] **CatDad:** Yeah

[9:25] **CatDad:** Kenma just fucking dragged me for how badly I'm blushing because of it

 _[9:26]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Omg I bet that's so cute!!! :D_

 _[9:26]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You're cute when you blush I like it :)_

[9:27] **CatDad:** It's embarrassinggggg DX

[9:28] **CatDad:** Kenma said I literally blushed all the way down to my sweats don't do that to me it's rude

 _[9:30]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _.............._

[9:30] **CatDad:** What????

 _[9:31]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I just_

 _[9:31]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _How did Kenma know that?_

[9:31] **CatDad:** Uh

[9:32] **CatDad:** They saw me???

 _[9:32]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _But like that would imply they can see that much of your skin_

[9:33] **CatDad:** Yeah??? So???

 _[9:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Tetsu-chan_

 _[9:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That means you're shirtless_

[9:35] **CatDad:** Yep that would be accurate

 _[9:36]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You're just_

 _[9:36]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Walking around without a shirt on???? O_o_

[9:38] **CatDad:** I mean yeah…? Kenma is ace as motherfuck so they couldn't care less

[9:39] **CatDad:** Is that weird or something lol

 _[9:40]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I mean not really_

 _[9:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Iwa and Mattsun used to do it a lot_

[9:41] **CatDad:** Then why the freak out XD

 _[9:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Because it's YOU_

 _[9:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _SHIRTLESS_

[9:43] **CatDad:** Am I somehow banned from the allowed to be shirtless club???

 _[9:44]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yes._

 _[9:45]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Especially if I can't see it :(_

[9:46] **CatDad:** Ohhhhhhh THAT'S what's bugging you

[9:46] **CatDad:** You jealous of Kenma Noodle-kawa ;)

 _[9:47]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yes. Absolutely_

 _[9:48]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _It's unfair_

[9:49] **CatDad:** You're more than allowed to see me if you'd like

[9:50] **CatDad:** We are dating now I have no problem with you enjoying my body

[9:51] **CatDad:** Also I'm super fucking attracted to you so even if we weren't dating I still wouldn't have a problem

 _[9:52]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Omg can I really? :D_

 _[9:52]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _See you, I mean_

[9:53] **CatDad:** Sure lol

[9:56] **CatDad:** Oh wait you mean now?

 _[9:57]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I mean… I wouldn't be opposed…_

[9:57] **CatDad:** You thirsty noodle XD

[9:58] **CatDad:** Gimme one sec

[img]

[10:02] **CatDad:** Is that sufficient?

 _[10:04]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Oh dear_

 _[10:04]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Oh boy_

 _[10:05]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Tetsu-chan we have a problem_

[10:06] **CatDad:** That… does not make me feel good XD

 _[10:07]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _It's just…_

 _[10:08]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I thought you stopped playing volleyball?_

[10:08] **CatDad:** I did haha

 _[10:08]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Then you have no fucking business looking like THAT_

 _[10:10]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _There were people on my fucking uni team last year who didn't look like that_

[10:11] **CatDad:** Are you for real rn XD

[10:11] **CatDad:** I don't have a six pack or anything idk what the big deal is lol

 _[10:12]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Shut uppppp omg_

 _[10:12]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You can't be THAT dense I s2g_

[10:13] **CatDad:** You're ridiculous

 _[10:15]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Nope. Not this time. I have every right in the world to admire this unbelievably fucking attractive image as much as I'd like_

 _[10:16]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _How do you /do/ that???? :O_

[10:17] **CatDad:** Bokuto is a dance major, he makes me work out with him

[10:17] **CatDad:** It's a bit different than volley hence the zero definition haha

 _[10:18]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Nononono no self-deprecation allowed here whatsoever_

 _[10:18]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You're a work of art Jesus christ_

[10:19] **CatDad:** STOPPPPPP

 _[10:20]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Why? You blushing again? ;)_

[10:20] **CatDad:** No

[10:21] **CatDad:** ......maybe

 _[10:23]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Ahhhhh!!!_

 _[10:24]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You know my favorite part isn't even the muscle, though that is a DEFINITE plus_

[10:25] **CatDad:** Yeah? What is it then?

 _[10:25]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _The freckles_

 _[10:26]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _They're so fucking cute and hot all at once_

 _[10:28]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Do you have them all over??_

[10:29] **CatDad:** Mmhmm

[10:30] **CatDad:** You undressing me in your mind?? ;)

 _[10:31]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That's it. I'm dead. Bury me rn_

 _[10:31]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Maybe…_

[10:32] **CatDad:** Lol XD

[10:32] **CatDad:** I don't have any issue with that

 _[10:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Ugh jesus christ I can't stop looking at you_

 _[10:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I want to trace your freckles they look like stars_

 _[10:34]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Is that weird?_

 _[10:34]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Fuck it I don't care I want to do it_

[10:36] **CatDad:** THAT'S GAYYY

[10:36] **CatDad:** I wouldn't mind that at all omg

 _[10:37]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Maybe soon? :D_

[10:38] **CatDad:** Sure :) you're very quick to try to get me in bed Noodle-kawa

 _[10:39]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I have no shame in my sexual thirst especially when it's justified and it most certainly is rn_

[10:40] **CatDad:** My god XD

[10:40] **CatDad:** I won't complain about that lol

 _[10:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I won't need dinner after our date if I have THAT_

[10:42] **CatDad:** MY

[10:42] **CatDad:** GOD

 _[10:42]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _:D :D :D_

 _[10:42]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _SPEAKING OF WHICH_

[10:43] **CatDad:** What, eating me????

 _[10:43]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Noooooo_

 _[10:43]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Well okay maybe I won't eliminate the possibility_

 _[10:44]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _But I was referring to our date_

[10:44] **CatDad:** Oh okay haha XD

[10:45] **CatDad:** Actually hold on

 _[10:45]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _What??_

[10:46] **CatDad:** So before we do the date thing we have to do one thing it's a non-negotiable

 _[10:47]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _What's that? ;)_

[10:49] **CatDad:** You gotta meet Kenma

 _[10:50]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Oh_

 _[10:50]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Okay_

 _[10:51]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Why tho?_

[10:54] **CatDad:** Kenma is like… we have a really unique relationship

[10:54] **CatDad:** Honestly if they don't like my partner we can't date

 _[10:55]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Sounds healthy XP_

 _[10:56]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Are they your mom or something lol_

[10:57] **CatDad:** Noooooo they just

[10:58] **CatDad:** Have you heard of platonic life partners?

[10:58] **CatDad:** Like, way deeper than just friends

[10:59] **CatDad:** Being in love in a non-romantic way I guess?

[10:59] **CatDad:** Anyway, Kenma is mine

 _[10:00]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _OH_

 _[10:01]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _MY_

 _[10:01]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _GOD_

 _[10:02]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I'm sorry that's just so great I've never met anyone who identifies that way that's great_

[11:03] **CatDad:** Yeah :)

[11:03] **CatDad:** Even though Kenma has Shouyou we just… have a thing

[11:05] **CatDad:** Kenma thinks we were lovers in our past life. Maybe a couple of them, when our orientations were different

 _[11:07]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _THAT'S LITERALLY THE CUTEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE_

 _[11:08]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I CANNOT KUROO I CANNOT_

[11:09] **CatDad:** XP don't be weird about it

[11:10] **CatDad:** But yeah Kenma comes first pretty much

[11:10] **CatDad:** Shouyou had to get my approval I think it's only fair you get Kenma's

[11:11] **CatDad:** Not in a weird possessive way??? We're just super committed to each other and that relationship is older so yeah

 _[11:13]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _No I get it I get it it's really cute and important and yeah_

[11:13] **CatDad:** Okay cool :)

[11:15] **CatDad:** So yeah you gotta meet Kenma first

 _[11:15]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _No pressure I'm sure XD_

 _[11:16]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That doesn't make me nervous AT ALL_

[11:16] **CatDad:** Don't be nervous XD

 _[11:17]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Helpful :P_

 _[11:20]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _But Kenma really thinks you were lovers?_

[11:21] **CatDad:** Yeah cuz like sexuality is fluid so they don't disregard the possibility they weren’t asexual at one point or that I was

 _[11:22]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That's suuuuper interesting :O_

[11:23] **CatDad:** Yeah XD Kenma has some cool views on stuff I'm sure you'll see that when you meet them

 _[11:23]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yay!!!_

[11:23] **CatDad:** Haha :)

[11:25] **CatDad:** Do you want to tackle them both in the same day?

[11:26] **CatDad:** Unless that’s too much lol

 _[11:27]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yeaaahhhhh that’s probably a bit much_

 _[11:28]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Especially if they decide to shun me DX_

[11:29] **CatDad:** Lol I doubt they’ll shun you :)

[11:30] **CatDad:** So okay how would you like to do it then?

 _[11:31]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Hmmmmmm welllllll_

 _[11:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I work tonight but I’m free tomorrow evening??_

 _[11:34]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _We could do dinner and plan our date for some other time?_

[11:35] **CatDad:** Great idea :)

[11:35] **CatDad:** Try not to be too nervous, okay? Kenma is really sweet

[11:36] **CatDad:** They can just be a bit stand-offish so if they aren’t warm with you don’t worry

[11:36] **CatDad:** And they don’t talk much so don’t worry about that either

[11:36] **CatDad:** Treat them like a cat???

[11:37] **CatDad:** Except don’t pet them, they will not like that at all

 _[11:38]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _KUROO_

 _[11:38]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _STOP_

 _[11:38]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _NOT HELPING_

[11:39] **CatDad:** Sorry sorry changing the subject

 _[11:40]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _XP XP XP_

 _[11:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Where should we meet?? For dinner I mean_

[11:42] **CatDad:** Well, Kenma will be the most comfortable if we do it at my apartment. That okay with you?

 _[11:42]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Sure of course!! :D_

[11:43] **CatDad:** Neat :)

[11:44] **CatDad:** What time works best for you?

 _[11:45]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I get out of class at 4 so any time after 5!!_

[11:45] **CatDad:** Is 6 okay???

 _[11:46]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _6 is great!! :D_

 _[11:48]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Will I get to see you before then???_

[11:49] **CatDad:** Hmmm I dunno…

 _[11:50]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _DDDDD:_

 _[11:50]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Really???_

[11:51] **CatDad:** Yeah lol

[11:51] **CatDad:** The whole “absence makes the heart grow fonder” or whatever

 _[11:52]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That’s bullshit_

 _[11:52]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I wanna see you_

[11:53] **CatDad:** So neeedddyy

 _[11:53]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yeah but so are you XP_

[11:53] **CatDad:** Fair haha fair

[11:54] **CatDad:** But there isn’t really time anyway if you’re working tonight and then busy tomorrow is there??

 _[11:56]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _…………….yeah :(_

 _[11:56]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Ugh fine_

 _[11:57]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I’ll see you tomorrow???_

[11:57] **CatDad:** See you tomorrow  <3 <3

 _[11:58]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _ <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 _

 

**Mon 12/12/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[16:22] **TooruBelieves:** HANAMAKI TAKAHIRO

 _[16:22]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Oh my /god/ WHAT TOORU_

[16:23] **TooruBelieves:** You’re a piece of shit XP

 _[16:24]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _I mean_

 _[16:24]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _You’re probably not wrong but what in particular did I do this time?_

[16:25] **TooruBelieves:** You STOLE my planets button-up :( :(

 _[16:25]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Oh shit I did didn’t I XD_

 _[16:25]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Woops :P_

[16:26] **TooruBelieves:** MAKKIIIII

[16:26] **TooruBelieves:** I need that shirttttttt

 _[16:27]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Lmao why_

[16:27] **TooruBelieves:** You’re definitely going to give me shit for it so I won’t tell you

[16:27] **TooruBelieves:** But I need it

 _[16:28]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Noopppeeeee you gotta tell me what you need it for :D_

[16:28] **TooruBelieves:** You can eat shit

 _[16:29]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _I’ll eat it with your shirt on_

[16:30] **TooruBelieves:** UGH

[16:31] **TooruBelieves:** Remind me to never let you borrow my clothes again you crapload

 

[16:31] **TooruBelieves:** Mattsun please make your stupid boyfriend give me my shirt back

 _[16:32]_ **_Devil 1:_ ** _Which one?_

[16:32] **TooruBelieves:** The planets one :P

 _[16:33]_ **_Devil 1:_ ** _Why? Do you need it?_

[16:34] **TooruBelieves:** It’s MY SHIRT

[16:34] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t need a reason!!!!!

 _[16:35]_ **_Devil 1:_ ** _Lol you definitely have one what is it_

[16:36] **TooruBelieves:** AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[16:36] **TooruBelieves:** I’M GONNA LOSE MY MIND

 _[16:37]_ **_Devil 1:_ ** _Chill, chill, Makki’s gonna run by with your shirt_

[16:38] **TooruBelieves:** Thank youuuuuu

 _[16:39]_ **_Devil 1:_ ** _Lol ur welcome_

 

 _[16:41]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _It’s for your BOYFRIEND isn’t it :D_

[16:42] **TooruBelieves:** -_-

 _[16:42]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _HAH_

 _[16:43]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _Are you going on a date or something????_

[16:43] **TooruBelieves:** Kinda?

[16:44] **TooruBelieves:** I’m meeting his best friend

 _[16:45]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _How domestic XP_

 _[16:45]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _You'll be engaged by this time next week_

[16:46] **TooruBelieves:** SHUT UP MY GOD

[16:46] **TooruBelieves:** Just bring me the shirt holy hell

 _[16:47]_ **_Devil 2:_ ** _;P_

 

To say that Tooru was nervous for this meeting would have been an egregious understatement. By the time a snickering but supportive Makki came over with their shirt and a “you get ‘em, champ”, they were ready to shit themselves.

Despite a slew of supportive texts from Kuroo to try to not freak out that morning including such gems as:

 

 _[10:47]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Seriously, Kenma appreciates authenticity more than anything so when I say just “be yourself” that's the best possible thing you could do_

And

 _[11:52]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _They already like you a little bit because you make me real happy so really the pressure is already off a little_

And of course:

 _[13:14]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _And if it goes horribly we can just bone and call it good and never see each other again :)_

 

They knew he was probably trying to make them laugh (which they admittedly did, but that wasn't the point), but they were too scared out of their wits to be anything but annoyed.

Okawa knew that they weren’t the most likeable person on the face of the planet. They tended to rub people the wrong way. A lot. Which was normally fine, and with Kuroo it didn’t matter, but there was a very real possibility that Kenma wouldn’t like it, or them.

No matter what Kuroo said to the contrary, this was a really big deal to them. It felt almost like going to meet his parents. It was all happening very quickly, too, which meant that they didn’t have much time to overthink but they also didn’t have much time to prepare.

If Kenma didn’t like them, would Kuroo really break up with them? It seemed a little extreme, but Tooru tried to reverse their roles in their head. Would Tooru break up with Kuroo if Iwa-chan or Suga didn’t like him?

Yeah. They definitely would.

Fantastic.

The only saving grace was the buzz from their pocket as they walked down the street towards Kuroo's apartment. Though they were barely able to hold their phone in their disgustingly sweaty palms.

 

 _[17:42]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I'm super excited about this tbh_

 _[17:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Are you on your way???_

 _[17:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Sorry I just wanna see you_

 _[17:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I literally JUST saw you, how pathetic is that?_

 _[17:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _God I bet you look so cute, you always dress so fucking infuriatingly well UGH_

 _[17:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Sorry I'll stop spamming I'm just really excited I hope you are too_

 _[17:45]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I know you feel like this is really high pressure but tbh Noodle I know Kenma will like you, there's nothing not to like_

 _[17:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I mean you're an ass but so am I and they like me soooooo_

 _[17:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Really I promise it'll be okay <3 _

_[17:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _K I'll for real stop now_

[17:47] **TooruBelieves:** You're fine  <3

[17:47] **TooruBelieves:** I really do appreciate the encouragement and I am excited :)

[17:47] **TooruBelieves:** Scared fucking shitless, but excited

 _[17:48]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah I did kinda set this up a bit more extreme than I meant to sorry :P_

[17:49] **TooruBelieves:** Yeahhhhhh

 _[17:49]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Kenma's excited to meet you too though_

 _[17:50]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Well okay maybe not excited, they don't get excited much but like_

 _[17:50]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _They don't look actively bored right now as they're cooking so I'll take it XD_

[17:51] **TooruBelieves:** Goodie

 _[17:52]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I'll hold your hand, okay?_

[17:52] **TooruBelieves:** My hands are nasty. I'm sweating like it's 1000 degrees outside

 _[17:53]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I don't care <3 _

[17:53] **TooruBelieves:** Ur grossssss

 _[17:53]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Am I cute tho :D_

[17:55] **TooruBelieves:** Yes, you're cute

[17:55] **TooruBelieves:** You impossible man

 _[17:56]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Please always remember that you are consenting to this relationship_

[17:56] **TooruBelieves:** We'll see XD

[17:57] **TooruBelieves:** Ugh okay I see your building see you in a sec

 _[17:57]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I can't wait :D_

 

Tooru had honestly never been more excited to see an elevator in their life. It was a horrifying notion that they might have to climb a frankly ridiculous number of stairs to get up to Kuroo's seventh-floor flat. The idea of coming up to his door all sweaty and panting and disgusting and meeting Kenma for the first time in anything less than a pristine state was appalling.

It took them a full ten seconds to process where the number 7 button was, and another five to actually raise a shaking hand up to press it. Everything was happening in slow-motion. The elevator barely seemed to be moving at all, and every passing second felt like an hour.

Needing something to occupy their brain, they examined the vague figure of their reflection in the metal doors. They looked presentable enough: their navy blue button-up with planets patterned all over it and burgundy skinny jeans were fine and free of Momo’s cat hair. Their hair had just enough product to look fairly natural even as the curls swept up towards the ceiling. Overall, apart from the trembling, they looked nice.

So why did they feel like they were going to vomit?

The elevator finally dinged, grinding to a halt. The doors opened and Tooru walked on jello legs towards Kuroo’s apartment.

They hoped to god they didn’t look as frantic as they felt. They had to keep themselves poised enough that Kenma wouldn’t be able to smell their fear. Could Kenma smell fear? Kuroo made it seem like they probably could, and if Tooru spoke without thinking or kept pouring sweat or if their voice cracked then Kenma would be able to see it and know they weren’t worthy of Kuroo and—oh god they were already at Kuroo’s apartment.

They stood there for a moment, staring directly at the peephole and suddenly vividly empathizing with why Kuroo had run the other day. The idea didn’t seem that ridiculous right now as they clenched and unclenched their fists and tried to work up the nerve to knock.

They could always turn around and go home. The thing that kept them from fleeing was pride—pride and excitement. They didn’t back down from a challenge, and they didn’t give up on people they cared about.

 _Well. Now or never, I guess,_ they figured, not wanting to postpone the inevitable for too long.

They thought about how much they liked Kuroo, how much they wanted to see that lopsided grin of his again, how much they wanted all of this to work out.

They took a deep breath and rapped the door with trembling knuckles.

There was a muffled but familiar-sounding “I got it!” from inside the flat, a shuffle of footsteps, and then the opening of the door.

Kuroo stood in the entrance, wearing a dark grey scoop-neck tee that showed off way too much of his olive-toned skin and those damned freckles and his collarbone and was overall distractingly attractive. His mouth slanted, showing off his teeth, eyes glinting with excitement. The sight of him—a sight now familiar and inviting—eased their nerves just a bit.

“Hey!” he greeted enthusiastically, leaning against the frame. “Glad you could make it.”

“It’s nice to see you, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru said, and they found that the little smirk they were suddenly wearing wasn’t nearly as forced as they thought it would need to be.

“You look…” Kuroo bit his lip and ruffled the back of his hair as he raked Tooru’s body with his gaze. “I like your shirt.”

“The sentiment is absolutely returned,” Tooru said as they followed the dip of Kuroo’s exposed collarbone down to what they could see of his beautifully-defined chest.

The sexual tension was so tangible, if Tooru hadn’t been dizzy with nerves they would have absolutely thrown Kuroo up against his wall right then. Thankfully, Kuroo seemed to have much more self-control, and he beckoned Tooru inside.

“Come in, come in. Kenma’s almost done with dinner,” Kuroo said, swinging the door wide.

“What a gentleman,” Tooru teased. They gave him a little peck on the cheek as they walked past him. He blinked, obviously not expecting it, but his grin just widened as he shut the door.

Tooru slipped their shoes off in front of the door and took in Kuroo’s apartment.

It was just about as cluttered as they’d thought it would be, but it couldn’t be called “messy”. Kuroo seemed like someone who thrived with a sort of organized disorder, like his hair and his smile and his absurd personality. There were books and papers and writing utensils stashed seemingly at random around the living room. All of the furniture had at least one blanket draped over it, usually two or three, and enough pillows to supply all of the flats in Kuroo’s building. Other things, like the errant hoodie or shoe, were scattered around the floor and the single bookshelf in front of the entryway.

The furniture was another matter as well. If Tooru had to direct a movie about an old grandmother's life, they would set it in Kuroo's apartment. The sofa looked old and lumpy and had an absolutely hideous plaid pattern. There was a high-backed armchair facing with its back to the door and it was actual, honest-to-god wallpaper floral. There was even a fucking cuckoo clock on the wall opposite the door.

“Sorry for the mess,” Kuroo said, nodding for the two of them to sit on the sofa. “But I guess you already knew I don’t really have my life together.”

Tooru had some sort of witty retaliation to that before they passed the wall separating the open kitchen-living room space and the entryway and saw a person who must have been Kenma.

They were shorter than Kuroo by about a head, with a sloping set of shoulders and a slight slouch. Their hair—dark at the roots, then dyed (Tooru assumed) in a fade that went from honey to strawberry blonde—was pulled back into a half-bun. Their back was turned, hard at work with something on the stove, so Tooru couldn’t get a good look at their face.

The worst part was that they were dressed in a T-shirt and black joggers, and Kuroo was _also_ in a T-shirt and Tooru was so painfully, obviously overdressed.

This was going to be a catastrophe.

“Kenma,” Kuroo called over the sizzling sounds of Kenma’s cooking. “Our guest is here.”

“Okay,” Kenma replied in a soft, low voice that almost didn’t carry past the kitchen.

They didn’t turn or say anything else. Tooru had no idea how to interpret that at all. They didn't sound upset, but it was hard to pick up even a sliver of emotion over the sizzling sounds of cooking with a voice that quiet.

Tooru didn't know what to do. Did they introduce themselves? Greet Kenma? Did they comment on how delectable the apartment smelled? Did they tease Kuroo about his horrifying taste in decor? Were they even allowed to tease Kuroo in front of Kenma or would they only accept impeccable manners? After everything that happened with Saeko, Tooru wouldn't be surprised if Kenma expected nothing less than a knight with the polish of a prince for Kuroo.

They were frozen in distress for a long moment, but Kuroo tugged them into the living room before they had a chance to say anything.

“It’s better to let them work,” Kuroo said, plopping down on his lumpy sofa.

“They ignored me,” Tooru said miserably.

“They ignore me most of the time too,” Kuroo said. He patted the cushion beside him and Tooru sat down with a little huff. “You don’t need to w—”

“Tetsu-chan I swear if you tell me not to worry again I will duct tape your mouth shut,” Tooru snapped quietly.

Kuroo just chuckled, wrapping an arm around their waist and returning their earlier kiss. Tooru’s palms were still sweaty, but bless Kuroo he wove their fingers together and held on anyway. He let them bounce their leg like a sewing machine needle that would surely pierce the floor sooner or later, took their death glare with an annoyingly smitten smile, and kissed them on the cheek again.

“Kenma’s my best friend, not my mother,” Kuroo said softly.

“I’m fine Tetsu-chan,” Tooru trilled, pushing their bangs to the side. “I’m used to high-pressure situations.”

Kuroo raised his eyebrows, obviously seeing right through that horribly unconvincing lie.

“This is different than volleyball. It's okay to be nervous.”

Tooru prickled up a bit at that because they absolutely didn't need permission to be worried. Of _course_ they were fucking nervous. They'd taken an enormous chance even just asking Kuroo out, and even though Kuroo agreed to be their boyfriend it was very possible that would be snatched away tonight if Kenma didn't approve of them.

Tooru might have been going way too fast but they knew Kuroo was different. He wasn't a one-night stand. Losing him would…

God they didn't even want to think about it.

“Thanks for the encouragement Tetsu-chan,” they practically spat, hissing on the last syllable.

It came out a lot harsher than they'd intended, because they knew Kuroo really was trying to help, but he didn't look offended. In fact his face relaxed into sympathetic affection.

He reached out to cradle Tooru's cheek. They flinched at the tenderness in his touch but they didn't move away.

“Kenma isn't unfair. You may be a dick, Noodle-kawa but you aren't a bad person and Kenma will see that.”

“I… Certainly hope so,” Tooru said hesitantly.

Kuroo smiled and pulled them in for a kiss. It was way too short, too short for Tooru to enjoy his taste and really unwind with his lips, because then there was a scuffling of feet interrupting their conversation. Kenma shuffled forward with a tray laden with food that smelled so delightful Tooru forgot for a moment to be terrified.

Only for a moment, before they got a look at Kenma’s face and remembered their situation.

Kenma was… pretty. They had a round face with very pleasant features and absolutely stunning hazel-golden eyes. Very pretty, very attractive, very expressionless. Their lips were settled into a soft line, face smooth with no telling creases whatsoever. Their eyes glinted with something that Tooru couldn’t pinpoint but it didn’t look overtly threatening.

Nothing about Kenma read threatening exactly. Intense, maybe a little intimidating because those eyes looked like they could definitely read their thoughts, but not threatening.

“I made a yellow curry. Nothing too spicy,” they said in a tone that reminded Tooru of the dull whir of a fan in the summer.

“Thanks Kenma,” Kuroo smiled, and there was a noticeable shift.

It was like Kuroo grew softer and sharper all at once, like sunlight through glass. It was… really touching.

Kuroo had been leaning back, but as Kenma sat down it was like their energy pulled him toward them. It was subconscious, the way he leaned in with his hands hung loosely over his knees. Every angled feature of his face somehow softened, like Kenma’s presence took his carved slyness and dissolved it.

Tooru was almost jealous of the look Kuroo was giving Kenma, if it weren’t so endearing.

“This smells delicious, Kittenpie,” he said, almost cooing in affection.

Tooru’s brows lifted at that disgustingly cute nickname, but they didn’t make any comments. That would probably not go over well.

“Thank you Tetsurou,” Kenma replied with a glance in his direction.

Then Kenma’s eyes were on Tooru and their whole body tensed. It was like being put under a microscope. The phrase “piercing gaze” never seemed more appropriate than it did at that moment. They felt like they were being _seen_ for the first time in their life: laid naked on an operating table.

Tooru now understood what Kuroo meant when he'd insisted they just try to act as naturally as possible. They were sure if they so much as smudged the truth Kenma would know immediately. Which made everything easier and more terrifying all at once.

“I hope you're okay with a little spice…?” Kenma asked, leaving the end of their sentence dangling. “I'm sorry. How would you like to be addressed?”

“Tooru,” Tooru said reflexively. “Er, it's Oikawa Tooru but I'm… Tooru is fine.”

Kuroo blinked at them and Tooru tried to keep a straight face because they weren't honestly sure why they'd offered their given name but it just seemed right somehow?

Oh god their hands were so sweaty.

“Okay then, you can call me Kenma,” they replied in the same toneless but not unpleasant voice. “Please eat.”

Kuroo and Tooru slid onto the floor (Kuroo's table was sort of acceptable in that it looked like it came from a build-it-yourself box, but at least wasn't ancient) as Kenma started serving themselves up some food. Kuroo's hand left Tooru's just long enough to dwell to their thigh. He gave them a squeeze of encouragement before moving to dish up a plate for both himself and Tooru.

Tooru wasn’t sure what to do with any part of their body. They settled their fists on their crossed legs, clawing into their thighs with nails that desperately needed a manicure. Their eyes darted from Kenma’s face—hyperfocused on their food—to Kuroo, who smiled reassuringly as he spooned them up plenty of rice and curry. They swallowed hard, not sure what to say and feeling like all the words and worries were balling up in their throat.

Dear _god_ Tooru hated silence. They did not thrive in silent environments. This was when the sarcasm usually came out, or the sass or the generally assholery. While Kenma was going to be introduced to that sooner or later, it would be better if it was born from something other than unbearable nerves.

They had to say _something_ though, or they were going to make an even bigger ass of themselves than necessary.

“Where’s your cat, Tetsu-chan?” they blurted because it was the most innocent thing they could think of.

They glanced sideways at Kenma to see if they had any reaction to Kuroo’s nickname, but their eyes were on their plate. Tooru wasn’t sure whether that was a good or a bad thing.

“Okami?” Kuroo asked, passing Tooru their curry and rice. “I’m not actually sure, I haven’t seen him. Do you know where he is, KP?”

Kenma shrugged, sliding a mouthful of food past those inflexible, calligraphic lips.

“He was on my bed I think,” they said flatly. Their eyes moved back to Tooru’s face and they felt their heart slamming against their sternum. “Do you like cats, Tooru?”

 _Tooru_. There was something about Kenma saying their name, in that quiet, calm voice, that sent a chill right up Tooru’s spine. Like there was some kind of power Kenma held in their mouth with that word curling off their tongue.

They had to swallow again to ease some of the tension in their throat.

“Yes, I love cats,” they said, high and strained even as they tried to sound cool and aloof. “And Tetsu-chan sent me some lovely pictures of Okami so I was definitely hoping to meet him.”

Kenma blinked at “Tetsu-chan” this time, eyes flicking to Kuroo’s face for just a moment before redirecting with full intensity on Tooru.

Had they fucked up? Kenma didn't comment on it.

“I can find him after dinner if you’d like,” Kenma offered. “He’s very friendly.”

Tooru nodded, the corner of their mouth twitching into a smile. “Thank you, I’d really like that.”

Kenma nodded again. Their eyes left Tooru’s face to trail down to the table in front of them. Their head fell to one side, blinking, and Tooru couldn’t help but think they looked kind of adorable like that.

Kenma really was like a cat. Quiet. Collected. Calculating.

Cute.

Was Tooru allowed to think Kenma was cute?

“Are you not hungry?” they asked, looking back up at Tooru. “You haven’t eaten anything Tooru.”

Tooru looked down at their plate. They hadn’t even touched their food yet.

So much for not being rude.

“Oh, no I’m—here!”

In a moment of sheer, unadulterated panic, Tooru’s lips settled into a likely terrifying grin as they scooped as much rice and curry into their chopsticks as they could and shoved it, hot and steaming, into their mouth. It was _blistering._

Their eyes watered as it burned their tongue, but they took the time to chew carefully, breathing out of their nose and trying not to show how much their mouth was on fire. Kuroo gave them a concerned look, and Kenma’s eyebrows drew together infinitessimally, but Tooru smiled through the pain. After a moment, when their mouth and the food found a good equilibrium in temperature, Tooru swallowed.

The bit of flavor that was able to wash down the back of their throat over their charred tongue was fantastic. A little sweet, a little spicy, and packed with the earthy flavors of tumeric and coriander.

“Are you okay?” Kuroo asked. Tooru’s cheeks were flushed and they couldn’t help the tears gathering in the corners of their eyes but their smile this time was entirely genuine.

“It’s delicious, Kenma-san,” Tooru said without a bit of irony. “Hotter than I was expecting, but delicious.”

“Just Kenma is fine,” Kenma said, their head returning to a more natural position. Tooru thought for a moment they might have offended Kenma because their attention redirected to their food, but they continued, “I’m very glad you enjoy it. Tetsurou was entirely unhelpful when I was trying to decide what to make.”

“Way to throw me the hell under the bus!” Kuroo said indignantly, and Tooru snorted.

“Well you weren't,” Kenma insisted. “I wanted to make our guest comfortable and you were absolutely useless.”

 _Our guest._ Kenma saw Tooru as a guest. Not an intrusion, not someone under trial, but a guest Kuroo was bringing into his home.

Tooru felt some of the tension wind out of their shoulders as they settled into the curry. Kuroo looked positively delighted, beaming as he gave Tooru’s thigh another encouraging squeeze. Tooru grinned, cheeks puffed out and eyes closed with another mouthful of food. Kuroo laughed and kissed their face and Tooru felt their stomach jolt with a combination of joy and affection. Even Kenma softened a little at Kuroo’s sudden excitable warmth.

“You’re so cute,” Kuroo admired gently.

“You’re so embarrassing Tetsu-chan,” Tooru whined, batting at his face and sticking their tongue out. Kuroo just snickered in that irritatingly (endearingly) self-satisfied way of his.

Tooru rolled their eyes and turned back to Kenma. They were quietly munching on their dinner, swirling their chopsticks around their plate. Even with their eyes averted, however, Tooru felt like Kenma was taking in every movement, every detail of the room.

Tooru could empathize with that probably more than most. It was something they did as well. Something Kuroo did a little too.

As Kenma quietly took in their environment, Tooru took in Kenma. It was extremely difficult to guess what Kenma was thinking behind that entirely blank expression. Hunched over their plate, it would have been easy to read Kenma as uncomfortable, but it seemed like that was their natural posture—probably a result of their work. Nothing about their body language read “uncomfortable”. In fact, they seemed quite at ease.

“Hey Kenma,” Kuroo cut in after a prolonged silence, “why don’t you show Tooru your shirt?”

Kenma looked up. There was a moment of contemplation and then they nodded. They straightened their shoulders a little, exposing the graphics on their chest, and Tooru almost shouted in excitement.

There was a nebula painted across the grey on the front of their shirt and the words “Space Ace” stamped into the chest.

“I love that so much oh my god!” Tooru said excitedly. “We even match!”

Tooru leaned back and tugged on the bottom of their shirt to show it off. Kenma blinked and their eyes shone with more interest than they’d displayed yet.

“I like yours too.”

“Do you like space?” Tooru pressed eagerly. This was something they could talk about for ages, something that helped ease their self-consciousness.

“I do,” Kenma replied evenly. “I think it’s fascinating.”

“Isn’t it?” Tooru swooned. “There’s so much about it that we don’t know!”

Kenma’s shoulders fell forward and their head tilted a little again as they looked at Tooru. “Tetsurou mentioned that you really enjoy space. What’s your favorite thing about it?”

“What _isn’t_ my favorite thing?” Tooru said, drumming their fingers on the table. “Let’s see…”

Tooru started babbling about space and stars and planets, about how unimaginably vast the infinity of the universe was. Kenma listened intently, nodding and prompting Tooru with questions but otherwise letting them rant. It was easy to forget being uneasy, easy to forget that Kenma was judging them to see if they were worthy of Kuroo.

There was no reason to hold back, anyway. If Tooru was going to be either accepted or denied, they wanted it to be on the truth of their own merit.

The food was almost entirely eaten by the time Tooru came to a stop, and they had no idea how long they’d been running their mouth. Kenma hadn’t seemed to mind, though. They’d appeared interested even, even with their blank face, there was a genuine intrigue in their eyes.

Tooru had determined that the most telling thing about Kenma was their eyes. They were so intense it was hard to distinguish any one emotion there, but if Tooru looked long enough they caught glimpses. Of Kenma's immense intelligence, their reservation, their acceptance.

“You really are a space fanatic,” Kuroo commented with a smirk, leaning back on his hands. He’d been listening quietly while Tooru talked themselves to death throughout dinner. “Are you sure you aren’t actually an alien?”

“One can only dream. Maybe one day the mothership will come back for me and save me from your nonsense,” Tooru teased back. Kenma’s lip actually twitched up in amusement.

“Hey, you decided you wanted this,” Kuroo grinned, turning to Kenma. “Are you gonna let them talk to me like this, Kenma?”

Kenma blinked and shrugged. “They aren’t wrong. You’re pretty much full on nonsense.”

“If you weren’t such an asshole we wouldn’t have to give you shit,” Tooru chirped, and Kenma nodded in agreement.

“ _I’m_ an asshole!” Kuroo gaped. “You’re the one constantly talking about how beautiful you are, like you’re some kind of Greek god.”

“There’s no use in denying the truth, is there?” Tooru said, matching Kuroo’s posture held up by their hands.

“Tooru does have nice hair,” Kenma agreed.

Tooru stuck their tongue out at Kuroo, then turned to Kenma with a wink. Both corners of Kenma’s mouth lifted in response. They made eye-contact as Kuroo whined about being “ganged up on” and Kenma almost, _almost_ smiled.

And that was it. Tooru knew they were in.

***

It was good to see Kenma and Tooru bonding over roasting the hell out of Kuroo. Tooru and Kuroo bickered back and forth for a bit over which one of them was more ridiculous while Kenma silently watched. They seemed to be more on Tooru’s side and Kuroo felt very unfairly disadvantaged.

But it didn’t matter because Tooru and Kenma were getting along. He had no idea why, but for some reason Kenma was really vibing with Tooru and Kuroo could tell. There was something about Tooru’s particular brand of pretension that Kuroo could tell Kenma appreciated. Probably in the same way Kenma appreciated Kuroo.

When the conversation drifted into a lull, Kenma suggested they watch TV. They settled on the sofa while Kuroo and Tooru made themselves into a comfortable tangle on the floor. Kenma pulled out their PSP but remained just as participatory in their conversation. They spoke with Tooru like an old friend.

Tooru really did feel like they'd been a part of Kuroo's life and family for years. He wondered if Kenma's past life theory might have applied here as well.

The best part of the evening was around eight thirty, when Okami wandered out of Kenma's room with a loud meow and Tooru absolutely lost it.

“He's huge Tetsu-chan!” they squealed quietly, holding out their hand for Okami to sniff.

He trotted over right away, right up to Tooru's outstretched palm with a nimble flick of the tail. He paused to sniff, eyes big and curious, before pushing up against their fingers demanding pets.

“He’s so soft Tetsu,” Tooru marveled, scratching at Okami’s head.

Kuroo thought his heart might explode. Tooru’s eyes were huge, face lit up like a child on Christmas with their mouth drawn wide in the biggest smile Kuroo had ever seen on them. Their fingers were so gentle as they scratched down Okami’s back. Okami, being the friendly cat he was, pushed hard against Tooru’s hand to maximize their petting.

“His favorite place is behind the ears,” Kenma offered, looking up over their PSP to watch the interaction.

Tooru took the instruction and moved to scratch where Kenma indicated.

Okami absolutely melted into Tooru’s touch. He started purring like a motorboat, tilting his entire body sideways into Tooru’s hand. Then he decided that wasn’t enough contact so he invited himself into Tooru’s lap, curling right up and purring so loud Kuroo wouldn’t have been surprised if the neighbors heard him.

Tooru looked at Kuroo with such a honeyed glow in their eyes he was absolutely sure he was going to die.

“I’ve been chosen,” they whispered excitedly.

Kuroo snickered as Tooru redirected their entire attention to scratching Oikami all over. He looked back at Kenma to see them smiling behind their PSP. Their eyes flicked up occasionally to watch Tooru completely enamored with the cat and Kuroo knew that Tooru had won them over.

It was late by the time Tooru was basically falling asleep in Kuroo’s lap. Kuroo leaned back against the sofa with Tooru’s head resting on Kuroo’s outstretched legs. Kenma sat behind them as the three of them watched _The Twilight Zone_. Kenma was playing on their PSP, but they looked up occasionally to pick up a conversation with Tooru about their various theories related to the episodes.

Kuroo couldn’t have been happier. Kenma never opened up like this with people. They were still a little tense, still very attentive and alert, but they curled up on the sofa and offered up conversation of their own accord. Tooru too, was so at ease they were nodding off in Kuroo’s lap. There was something about Kenma that had softened Tooru a little, made them less prickly and almost sweet.

This was it. Tooru just had to stick around forever.

But he should probably get them home before they actually passed out.

“Hey sleepy, you should get going,” Kuroo said gently, tapping Tooru on the shoulder.

Tooru groaned crankily, nuzzling into Kuroo’s thigh. “Probably. But I don’t want to.”

 _Me neither._ But he couldn't well invite Tooru to stay the night without consulting Kenma first, and he didn’t want to put them on the spot.

“I know but you need to head out or you'll fall asleep on the walk home.”

Tooru huffed in protest but they were straightening up without much of a fight. There was a bleary sort of contentedness in their eyes as they stretched themselves awake. The movement disturbed Okami, who leapt off Tooru’s lap and beside Kenma on the sofa. Tooru pouted, but Kuroo wiped it away with a kiss.

He kept it short and sweet to avoid dissolving into a full-on makeout session in front of Kenma. Tooru still looked quite happy, smiling as they got to their feet. Nearly every joint in their body cracked on the way up.

“Jesus Tooru, you sound like bubble wrap,” Kuroo said, following after them.

“Don’t make fun, vollleyball fucked up my joints,” Tooru grumbled, arching their back and popping each individual vertebrae.

“It sounds kinda gross,” Kenma commented with a grimace.

Tooru pouted with big doe eyes in response. “It’s not _that_ gross.”

“It’s pretty gross,” Kenma insisted.

Tooru huffed in mock-offense, flicking a hair out of their eyes.

“How rude,” they said. “Well, regardless it was quite nice to meet you Kenma.”

Kenma took a moment to respond. At first, they just bobbed their head, and Tooru looked at Kuroo with some trepidation, like they’d said something wrong.

Then Kenma put down their PSP and gazed directly at Tooru with the same look they gave Bokuto or Keiji—the familiar softness of growing affection.

“It was very nice to meet you,” they said and their lips curled into an unmistakably crescent-shaped smile. “I’m glad you and Tetsurou are seeing each other.”

Tooru beamed. They wiggled their fingers at Kenma in a final farewell before practically skipping down the hall towards Kuroo’s door. Kuroo was basically punch-drunk with giddiness seeing the two of them interact with each other.

It wasn’t even that they got along with each other. Kenma could get along with most people for short periods of time—either by blocking them out or otherwise occupying themselves. What excited Kuroo was how comfortable Kenma seemed to be with Tooru, how much they were actually enjoying the company of someone who was basically a stranger. Maybe it was Kenma’s calm honesty, or maybe it was Tooru’s sassy charisma, but they blended together like salt on chocolate.

It was the final cue to Kuroo that there really was something different about Tooru. Kuroo didn’t believe in fate but… it was _quite_ a happy coincidence.

Maybe something he should ask Kenma about later.

Kuroo and Tooru paused by the door so Tooru could slide their shoes back on. Kuroo leaned against the wall with crossed arms. He knew he was staring, he felt the lovestruck smile plastered on his face, but he didn’t care. All of his pride went out the window when he’d run away and then crawled back begging for forgiveness.

He was head-over-heels, and tonight had pushed him fully over the edge.

Tooru straightened up with a comfortable smirk, hands on their hips and one brow arched high. They took a few steps forward: enough for Kuroo’s pulse to shoot through the roof and Tooru’s warm, fruity scent to flare his senses.

“Your face is going to freeze like that, Tetsu-chan,” they purred when they were centimeters away from him.

“Yeah?” Kuroo grinned. “Maybe you could help me out then.”

Kuroo gently grabbed the collar of Tooru’s fantastically nerdy and figure-flattering shirt. They threw their arms around his neck without hesitation and brought their lips together.

God, Kuroo could imagine kissing Tooru forever. Their chapstick tasted phenomenal, their tongue firm and knowing as it licked inside his mouth. When Kuroo nipped at Tooru’s lower lip, they drew in a high-pitched, shuddering breath. It urged him on, compelled him to wrap his arms around their waist and pull them flush against him. Tooru carded a hand in Kuroo’s bedhead and tugged hard enough to coax out a quiet, involuntary whimper.

All of Kuroo’s nerves were awake and alert. He could feel Tooru’s chest heave as they kissed him, their skin burning beneath their shirt. He was about half a second away from sliding a knee between Tooru’s thighs right in that very open doorway. Tooru, on the other hand, pulled away in an amazing display of self-control.

“Probably shouldn’t get too carried away with Kenma right there, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru half-chuckled, half-gasped.

“Probably not,” Kuroo agreed, equally winded.

Tooru pecked Kuroo’s lips once more before unwinding from his grip. Kuroo mourned the loss of contact, but his skin was still prickling and all of the endorphins and dopamine flooding his system put him in a state of blessed elation.

“This was lovely,” Tooru said, opening the door. “I’m glad we did this. I really like Kenma, Tetsu-chan.”

“I’m glad. I think they really like you too,” Kuroo replied. “Which is fortunate, because I also really like you.”

“Tetsu-chan is such a sap,” Tooru teased, hovering just outside the door. “Probably why I like him so much.”

Kuroo laughed lightly and Tooru’s flushed cheeks lifted with a smile. They were both so _stupidly_ taken with each other. How on earth they could be this comfortable, this infatuated after knowing each other for so short a time, after being official for less than two days, was probably unwise.

No one had ever accused Kuroo of wisdom, though.

“Text me when you get home, alright?” Kuroo said.

“Aww, are you worried about me?” Tooru said, swinging the door back and forth.

“Worried you’ll get lost maybe,” Kuroo snickered.

Tooru stuck their tongue out at him and flashed him the peace sign in the most Instagram-ish way possible. “I’ll text you. Wouldn’t want grandpa Kuroo to stay up past his bedtime with worry.”

“Whatever Noodle-kawa,” Kuroo snorted with an eye roll. “Thanks again for coming over.”

“Of course, I really did have a great evening,” Tooru said in all their sincerity. “Bye-bye Tetsu-chan!”

Their fingers danced in farewell as they closed the door and disappeared from view. The dull roar of the TV drowning out the otherwise silent apartment was painfully apparent in Tooru’s absence.

Kuroo wished they hadn’t left, wished they hadn’t had to stop kissing, but it was okay. He walked up to the door and pressed his cheek against the cool wood. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could still smell the stale scent of peaches and vanilla floating where Tooru had been.

 

[10:43] **TooruBelieves:** I’m hooommeeee Tetsu-chan~~

[10:43] **TooruBelieves:** Did ya miss me??? :D

 _[10:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yes._

 _[10:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I won’t even lie to you XD_

 _[10:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _That kiss got me all heated lol_

[10:45] **TooruBelieves:** Ugh I know, right??? You need to stop being so good at kissing

[10:46] **TooruBelieves:** I’m getting too curious about what else that mouth might do ;)

 _[10:47]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Maybe you’ll find out after our date? ;P_

[10:48] **TooruBelieves:** I surely hope so :D

[10:49] **TooruBelieves:** I hope our date will be soon…?

 _[10:50]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Well, I get out of class early on Thursday_

 _[10:50]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Unless you want to wait until the weekend?_

[10:51] **TooruBelieves:** Absolutely not, I want to see you as soon as possible

 _[10:51]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Sap :P_

[10:51] **TooruBelieves:** Says you! XP

[10:52] **TooruBelieves:** But Thursday sounds perfect~~

[10:53] **TooruBelieves:** Can we meet up for secret makeout sessions and be a gross couple before then???

 _[10:53]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Um, duh???_

 _[10:54]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _What’s the point of having a boyfriend if you can’t messily make out behind the chem building between dates?_

[10:55] **TooruBelieves:** That’s what I’m saying!!!!

[10:55] **TooruBelieves:** Okay I’m reaaallllyyyyy sleepy actually, can we talk more tomorrow??

 _[10:56]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Sure, sure, get your beauty sleep you noodle :)_

[10:56] **TooruBelieves:** I don’t need beauty sleep Tetsu-chan ;)

 _[10:57]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Lol whatever_

 _[10:57]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Goodnight :)_

[10:58] **TooruBelieves:** Goodnight Tetsu-chan  <3

 _[10:58]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _ <3 <3 <3_

 

 _[10:58]_ **_XXX-XXXX-XXXX:_ ** _Hello, this is Kozume Kenma_

[10:59] **TooruBelieves:** Hi Kenma!! :D

 _[10:59]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _I got your number from Tetsurou. I hope that’s okay?_

[11:00] **TooruBelieves:** Of course!! What’s up???

 _[11:00]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _I just wanted to say that I did enjoy meeting you_

 _[11:01]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _I enjoy your company and you make Tetsurou very happy_

[11:02] **TooruBelieves:** Awwww that really means a lot to me, thank you so much :) :) :)

 _[11:02]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _You’re welcome_

 _[11:02]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _Anyway I don’t want to keep you awake, I just wanted to make sure you got my number_

[11:03] **TooruBelieves:** Thank you so much :)

 _[11:03]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _Of course_

 _[11:04]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _Maybe we could continue talking about that last episode sometime? I’d love to share some of my ideas about that final scene when he breaks his glasses_

[11:04] **TooruBelieves:** I would love that!!! :D

[11:04] **TooruBelieves:** But maybe tomorrow??? I’m sorry I’m just falling asleep -_-Zzzzzz

 _[11:05]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _Oh of course, not tonight, I’m also extremely tired_

 _[11:05]_ **_KenmaKat:_ ** _Goodnight Tooru_

[11:06] **TooruBelieves:** Goodnight Kenma :)

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	8. Dreamscape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _[10:57] **Tetsu-chan <3:** Do you have anything nice to say to me XD_  
>  _[10:58] **Tetsu-chan <3:** Just let me live Tooru_  
> [11:00] **TooruBelieves:** As your boyfriend I reserve the (consensual) right to (consensually) tease you whenever I damn well please~~  
>  _[11:01] **Tetsu-chan <3:**: And if it's not consensual?_  
> [11:02] **TooruBelieves:** Then of course I'll back off dumbass :P  
>  [11:03] **TooruBelieves:** Though then I'd question why you started dating me in the first place seeing as teasing is basically a personality trait at this point rather than an activity  
>  _[11:05] **Tetsu-chan <3:** If I say I secretly like it will that make you do it more?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Updates after a month with a 14k+ chapter* I am so sorry I hope you enjoy it

**Mon 12/12/16 [TooruBelieves]**

[9:12] **TooruBelieves:** Hey Iwa~~

 _[9:13]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah Shittykawa?_

[9:13] **TooruBelieves:** Meanie :(

[9:14] **TooruBelieves:** But I need to pick your brain so I'll let it slide

[9:14] **TooruBelieves:** For now XP

 _[9:16]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Okay whatever lol what is it_

[9:16] **TooruBelieves:** I need ideas on what to do for my first date with Kuroo

[9:17] **TooruBelieves:** I know you're totally inept in relationships but

 _[9:18]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Wow thanks_

[9:18] **TooruBelieves:** BUT

[9:20] **TooruBelieves:** You always come up with these big romantic things for Mattsun and Makki so I wanted to ask

 _[9:22]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Why should I help you if you're going to be rude as fuck_

[9:23] **TooruBelieves:** Because you love me :D

 _[9:23]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Unfortunate_

[9:24] **TooruBelieves:** :( :( :(

 _[9:25]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _But lol k I can help you_

 _[9:26]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Do you have any ideas whatsoever?_

[9:28] **TooruBelieves:** I mean kinda?? Something where we can talk for sure

[9:29] **TooruBelieves:** So no movies or anything

 _[9:31]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _K gotcha_

 _[9:34]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _How vulnerable are you okay being with him?_

[9:35] **TooruBelieves:** Moderately I suppose

[9:35] **TooruBelieves:** Not like anything horribly big but enough

 _[9:38]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Hmmm_

 _[9:42]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _What about that flower place you're always going to?_

[9:43] **TooruBelieves:** You mean the botanical gardens???

 _[9:44]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah that place lol_

[9:44] **TooruBelieves:** Iwa-chan!!!!! That’s an amazing idea!!!!

[9:45] **TooruBelieves:** I knew there was a reason I kept you around ;)

 _[9:46]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _I'm glad to be of service_

 _[9:48]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Do I ever get to meet this guy?_

[9:49] **TooruBelieves:** Awwwwwww Iwa-chan!!! So sweet :)

 _[9:51]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Hey I'd love to meet the person who took an ice pick to that eight-below heart of yours_

[9:52] **TooruBelieves:** Why does every compliment from you come veiled in salt XP

 _[9:53]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _I'm a salty guy I guess_

[9:53] **TooruBelieves:** Iwaisalty

 _[9:54]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _No_

[9:54] **TooruBelieves:** If you can call me Shittykawa I can call you whatever tf I want

 _[9:55]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _No_

[9:55] **TooruBelieves:** XP XP

[9:55] **TooruBelieves:** But you'll meet Tetsu-chan soon I'm sure :)

 _[9:56]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Cool. Let me know how the date goes_

[9:56] **TooruBelieves:** I will!! Thanks Iwa-chan!!!

 

 _[10:07]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Soooooooooooooo_

 _[10:08]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _How pissed would you be at me if we have to move our date back XD_

[10:09] **TooruBelieves:** NOOOOOOOOO WHY :( :( :( :(

 _[10:10]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _My fucking lab prof just moved our lab report forward to Friday instead of Monday_

 _[10:11]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’ll need to spend most of Thursday working on it to get it done on time :/_

[10:12] **TooruBelieves:** That’s fucking dumbbbbbb :(

[10:15] **TooruBelieves:** Which prof? I’ll fucking fight them

 _[10:15]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Please don’t do that lol_

 _[10:16]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Trust me I’m super pissed but there’s nothing I can do :(_

[10:16] **TooruBelieves:** </3

 _[10:16]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Noooo don’t do that D:_

[10:17] **TooruBelieves:** Well I’m sad

[10:17] **TooruBelieves:** But okay we can move it back

[10:18] **TooruBelieves:** I’m not free until Sunday tho :/

 _[10:19]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Fuck I’m sorry baby_

[10:20] **TooruBelieves:** ..........

[10:22] **TooruBelieves:** I'll forgive you on one condition

 _[10:23]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _What???_

[10:24] **TooruBelieves:** Call me baby again~

 _[10:25]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Oh? You like it when I call you that, Tooru baby? ;)_

[10:25] **TooruBelieves:** YES OMG YES

[10:26] **TooruBelieves:** Call me that the next time we make out and I'll forgive you for pushing back our date  <3 <3

 _[10:27]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Deal_

 _[10:27]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Esp if it's reciprocated_

[10:28] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu baby?? :)

 _[10:29]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _helllllLLLLLLLL YES :D_

[10:29] **TooruBelieves:** :D :D

[10:30] **TooruBelieves:** Okay then, Sunday for the date??

 _[10:31]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Sunday for the date :)_

 

**Tues 13/12/16**

_[10:21]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Question_

 _[10:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Just because we're dating now does that mean we gotta stop the library/tea hangouts?_

[10:23] **TooruBelieves:** Needy needy Tetsu-chan~~

 _[10:23]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Shut up you're just as needy_

[10:26] **TooruBelieves:** Well yes, but that won't stop me from giving you shit at every possible opportunity :)

 _[10:27]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Why_

 _[10:27]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Why do I like you so much_

 _[10:28]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You're an ass XD_

[10:29] **TooruBelieves:** But I have a nice butt

[10:29] **TooruBelieves:** An ass with an ass if you will

 _[10:30]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Can't argue with that lol_

[10:31] **TooruBelieves:** :) :)

[10:32] **TooruBelieves:** I would love to see you today though

[10:33] **TooruBelieves:** Was definitely hoping I'd get to grope you inappropriately in that little “study corner”

 _[10:34]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I'm always down for some inappropriate library groping_

[10:35] **TooruBelieves:** :D

 _[10:35]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I was kind of assuming our hangouts would only, you know, increase?_

[10:36] **TooruBelieves:** I was hoping the exact same thing :)

[10:38] **TooruBelieves:** You've become one of my best friends over the past few weeks. Now I just get to kiss you  <3

 _[10:42]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Stop being so CUTE when I can't see you wtf_

[10:43] **TooruBelieves:** Get used to it because I'm /always/ this cute Tetsu-chan ;)

[10:44] **TooruBelieves:** My adorableness is just a fact of life, not an object to be consumed by your male gaze

 _[10:45]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Tooru_

[10:46] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu-chan? ~~

 _[10:47]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Why the FUCK_

 _[10:47]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Are you just so this way_

[10:47] **TooruBelieves:** You picked meeeeee :D

 _[10:50]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah and you somehow manage to be the Best™ and the Worst™ all at once_

 _[10:51]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Schrodinger's gay_

[10:52] **TooruBelieves:** That's super nerdy Tetsu but I think what I'm most concerned about in that message was your blatant, unironic usage of the fucking trademark meme

 _[10:53]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You got a thing against comedy??_

[10:55] **TooruBelieves:** When it's old and dead as fuck yes I do

 _[10:55]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Come on it's not THAT old_

[10:56] **TooruBelieves:** Nah it’s pretty much reached grandfather status

[10:56] **TooruBelieves:** So I guess it suits you ;D

 _[10:57]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Do you have anything nice to say to me XD_

 _[10:58]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Just let me live Tooru_

[11:00] **TooruBelieves:** As your boyfriend I reserve the (consensual) right to (consensually) tease you whenever I damn well please~~

 _[11:01]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _And if it's not consensual?_

[11:02] **TooruBelieves:** Then of course I'll back off dumbass :P

[11:03] **TooruBelieves:** Though then I'd question why you started dating me in the first place seeing as teasing is basically a personality trait at this point rather than an activity

 _[11:05]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _If I say I secretly like it will that make you do it more?_

[11:06] **TooruBelieves:** Probably :)

 _[11:06]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Then I FUCKING HATE IT_

 _[11:07]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Never wanna hear that shit again_

 _[11:08]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _*Winky face*_

[11:09] **TooruBelieves:** Did you just…

[11:10] **TooruBelieves:** You TYPED OUT the winky face emoji

[11:10] **TooruBelieves:** With words

[11:10] **TooruBelieves:** That's what fucking emoticons are for what the hell is wrong with you

 _[11:14]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _It's what I do with all my free time since I'm not constantly checking my reflection :P_

[11:15] **TooruBelieves:** Nothing wrong with making sure I'm presentable Tetsurou~~

 _[11:16]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Absolutely the hell not_

[11:18] **TooruBelieves:** ??????

 _[11:18]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You cannot use my given name when I'm roasting you_

[11:19] **TooruBelieves:** Touchy touchy Tetsurou~~

 _[11:20]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah well_

 _[11:20]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _No matter how unbelievable you are I still really like you and the name thing just_

 _[11:20]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Ends me_

[11:21] **TooruBelieves:** Are you blushing down to your sweats again? ;)

 _[11:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Probably would be if I was wearing pants_

[11:23] **TooruBelieves:** whAT

[11:25] **TooruBelieves:** yOu'RE nOt wEarINg pAntS

[11:25] **TooruBelieves:** WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING PANTS????

 _[11:26]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Because I'm in the comfort of my own home???_

 _[11:26]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Class got canceled so what's the point of pants_

[11:28] **TooruBelieves:** There are at least 10 reasons for pants I can think of right now!!!

 _[11:29]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I'm in boxers chill babe XD_

[11:30] **TooruBelieves:** Nonono don't babe me I'm very upset rn

[11:31] **TooruBelieves:** Do you just never wear clothes what is this

 _[11:32]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I dunno I get hot super easy?_

 _[11:32]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Does that bother you?_

[11:33] **TooruBelieves:** YES

[11:33] **TooruBelieves:** BECAUSE I AM NOT THERE TO ENJOY IT

 _[11:33]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You are so absolutely extra I can't deal with you_

 _[11:35]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Do you want another pic?_

[11:37] **TooruBelieves:** I'd say yes but I'm in class and I will not be able to keep it together if I see you partly naked again

 _[11:38]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Welp guess you'll have to wait :D_

[11:38] **TooruBelieves:** :( :( :(

 _[11:40]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Shit I gotta go clean up Okami’s hairball_

[11:41] **TooruBelieves:** Disgusting X(

[11:42] **TooruBelieves:** I'll see you later then???

 _[11:42]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _See you later :)_

 

**Thurs 15/12/16**

[14:02] **TooruBelieves:** We’re going to have to move our date back again :’(

 _[14:03]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Nooooooo why???? :(_

[14:04] **TooruBelieves:** My boss made me pick up another fucking shift on Sunday :/

 _[14:04]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Fuccckkkkkkk I’m sorry, that sucks :(_

[14:05] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah it’s bullshit but I can’t do anything about it DX

 _[14:06]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Hey that’s okay, the anticipation will be literally killing me by then ;)_

 _[14:08]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _When do we want to move it to then? Would Thursday work like we planned last week?_

[14:09] **TooruBelieves:** It would if I didn’t have a huge paper due on Friday

[14:10] **TooruBelieves:** Ughdjffhjksafl is the universe just trying to fuck us over?????

 _[14:11]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Maybe_

 _[14:12]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Maybe not though…_

[14:14] **TooruBelieves:** ???????? What’re you thinking

 _[14:15]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Well_

 _[14:15]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Next Saturday /is/ Christmas eve…_

[14:16] **TooruBelieves:** OH MY GOD

[14:16] **TooruBelieves:** YES THAT’S A FANTASTIC IDEA

[14:17] **TooruBelieves:** WHY DID I NOT THINK OF THAT WTF

 _[14:18]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Lol XD XD_

[14:19] **TooruBelieves:** Okay yes that’s such a good idea let’s do that then :) :)

 _[14:20]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Awesome :) :)_

[14:20] **TooruBelieves:** Will I get to see you again this next week though???

 _[14:21]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Of course :)_

 _[14:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I feel like we’ll have gone on a ton of little mini-dates by the time we get to this one though haha_

[14:23] **TooruBelieves:** So??? I like you and I want to be disgustingly coupley with you

 _[14:23]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Same here I’m not complaining XD_

 _[14:24]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Speaking of which, we still on for tea tomorrow???_

[14:25] **TooruBelieves:** Duh!!! I can’t wait :)

 _[14:26]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Me either :) Have a good night!!_

[14:26] **TooruBelieves:** You too!! Night Tetsu-chan~~

 

**Mon 19/12/16**

[17:40] **TooruBelieves:** So we absolutely cannot make out like that right before I have to go home anymore

 _[17:41]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Why not?????_

[17:42] **TooruBelieves:** Makki and Mattsun will NOT shut up about my “sex hair”

 _[17:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I didn’t even touch your hair that much you told me not to XD_

[17:44] **TooruBelieves:** Yes!! And this is why!!!! :(

 _[17:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Fine, no more making out then :P_

[17:45] **TooruBelieves:** NOOOOO

[17:45] **TooruBelieves:** That is so not what I said DX

[17:46] **TooruBelieves:** I just said you can’t leave me looking so debauched again

 _[17:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’ll do my best haha_

 _[17:47]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Do I get to make out with you tomorrow then???_

[17:48] **TooruBelieves:** Oh yes, please do :)

[17:48] **TooruBelieves:** Meet in the library? As usual???

 _[17:49]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Mmhmm <3 _

 

**Wed 21/12/16**

_[16:15]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _So for the record_

 _[16:16]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I think I found my favorite thing you do_

[16:16] **TooruBelieves:** Oh yeah??? What is it??? ;)

 _[16:17]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _When you trace my freckles_

 _[16:17]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _It’s so cute and it feels really nice_

[16:19] **TooruBelieves:** TETSU-CHAAANNNNN

[16:20] **TooruBelieves:** I was hoping it was more sexual than that but you went and made it gay XD

 _[16:21]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Would being sexual not be gay…_

[16:21] **TooruBelieves:** XP

 _[16:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You know you /are/ the one who does it all the time_

 _[16:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _So really you’re the gay one_

[16:22] **TooruBelieves:** Well you’re not at all wrong there~~

[16:23] **TooruBelieves:** I do really like tracing them

[16:24] **TooruBelieves:** It’s like connect-the-dots

 _[16:25]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _How romantic XD_

[16:26] **TooruBelieves:** Well it is!!!!! :P

[16:29] **TooruBelieves:** Wanna know something even gayer??? :D

 _[16:30]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Always :)_

[16:31] **TooruBelieves:** I like tracing them because it reminds me of constellations :)

[16:31] **TooruBelieves:** But I get to make them on you  <3

 _[16:32]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yep. That’s about as gay as it gets_

 _[16:33]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You should do it with a pen sometime so it stays and I can look at them :) :)_

[16:34] **TooruBelieves:** Okay!!!! :D

[16:35] **TooruBelieves:** I also hope you know that I’m getting you a gift for our date :)

[16:36] **TooruBelieves:** But I’ll probably give it to you on Friday so you aren’t hauling it around all day

 _[16:38]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Nooooooooo I thought I told you no gifts yesterday!!!! :(_

[16:39] **TooruBelieves:** Oops sorry already got it for you

 _[16:40]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Tooorruuuuuuu :( :(_

[16:41] **TooruBelieves:** Oh hush you old man it isn’t a big deal

[16:42] **TooruBelieves:** And don’t feel obligated to get me anything just because I’m the best boyfriend ever :)

[16:43] **Tetsu-chan <3:** -_-

 _[16:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Of course I’m getting you something dumbass_

[16:44] **TooruBelieves:** <3 Such a sweetie you are Tetsu-chan

 _[16:44]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _XP_

 _[16:45]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Grrr I gotta get back studying, I’ll see you Friday morning??_

[16:46] **TooruBelieves:** Mhmm, good luck studying!!! :)

 _[16:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Thanks :)_

 

**Fri 23/12/16**

[21:31] **TooruBelieves:** Ughhhhhhhhhhhh

 _[21:32]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Lol yeah? Is that so?_

[21:32] **TooruBelieves:** I want to go on our dateeeeee :(

 _[21:33]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Has seeing me every single day this week not been enough for you? ;P_

[21:34] **TooruBelieves:** Well it /has/ but you’re also underestimating how needy I am

[21:34] **TooruBelieves:** Besides I already miss your lips  <3

 _[21:35]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You’ve literally kissed me raw this week XD_

 _[21:35]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _And last week for that matter haha_

[21:36] **TooruBelieves:** Oh honey

[21:37] **TooruBelieves:** If it takes that little to kiss you raw then you won’t have lips a month from now

 _[21:38]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _You know what?_

 _[21:38]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m okay with that :)_

[21:39] **TooruBelieves:** :D :D :D

 _[21:40]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I really like kissing you baby_

[21:41] **TooruBelieves:** Ugh

[21:41] **TooruBelieves:** God

[21:42] **TooruBelieves:** I love it when you call me that

 _[21:42]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah? ;)_

 _[21:43]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _The feeling is very reciprocated_

[21:44] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu baby…

[21:45] **TooruBelieves:** I wish I could bury my hands in your hair and kiss you breathless~

 _[21:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Goddddddd stopppppp_

 _[21:46]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m with Kenma and Shouyou you cannot get me all worked up right now_

[21:47] **TooruBelieves:** Why not??? It’s so much fun ;)

 _[21:48]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _XP I have an evil boyfriend_

[21:48] **TooruBelieves:** Yep :D

 _[21:49]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _XP XP Changing the subject_

 _[21:49]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _When/where are we meeting up tomorrow??_

[21:52] **TooruBelieves:** I was thinking like 2pm or so?? By the campus library? Does that work?

 _[21:53]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _That sounds great!_

 _[21:54]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m so excited to see you :)_

[21:55] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu-chan~~

[21:55] **TooruBelieves:** Who’s the needy one now lol

 _[21:56]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Me! It’s me! :D_

 _[21:57]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m very needy and I want to kiss you :D :D_

[21:57] **TooruBelieves:** God you’re such a ridiculous man XD

[21:58] **TooruBelieves:** I’m probably going to tackle you when I see you sooooooo~

 _[21:59]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I can’t wait :)_

 _[22:00]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _See you tomorrow?_

[22:01] **TooruBelieves:** See you tomorrow Tetsu-chan  <3

[22:05] **TooruBelieves:** Oh wait, before you go, did you like my gift??? I know we kinda had to split right as we exchanged them lol

 _[22:06]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yes it was the most incredible gift ever I absolutely cannot wait to eat it :D_

 _[22:07]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m not even gonna share it, it has a big note on it saying “Kuroo’s Melonpan–DO NOT EAT”_

[22:07] **TooruBelieves:** Yay!!!!!! :D :D :D

 _[22:08]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Did you like yours???_

 _[22:09]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _It wasn’t too weird was it? :/_

[22:10] **TooruBelieves:** Are you KIDDING me???

[22:12] **TooruBelieves:** Tetsu-chan it was PERFECT

 _[22:13]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yeah????_

[22:15] **TooruBelieves:** Omg yes holy shit?!?! Glow-in-the-dark planets and stars???

[22:16] **TooruBelieves:** I literally cannot imagine anything more perfect!!!  <3 <3

[22:16] **TooruBelieves:** I used to have them as a kid but my mom made me give them away :P

 _[22:17]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _I’m so glad :)_

 _[22:20]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Have you hung them up yet??_

[22:21] **TooruBelieves:** Not yet, I was kind of hoping you’d help me ;)

 _[22:21]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Lol okay I can do that_

 _[22:22]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Maybe after our date??_

[22:23] **TooruBelieves:** Omg yes please :)

[22:23] **TooruBelieves:** Shit my friend Suga is calling me, I’ll see you tomorrow???

 _[22:24]_ **_Tetsu-chan <3:_ ** _Yep! See you tomorrow :)_

 

Unlike their first meeting, Tooru didn’t have any help preparing for his first date with Kuroo. Suga and Daichi were off having some fancy dinner at an outrageously expensive restaurant. Iwaizumi had taken Mattsun and Makki away for the weekend to an onsen somewhere in the north. Tooru was left to fend for themselves, which of course they could do because their sense of fashion was impeccable.

Right?

It didn’t really _matter_ in the end anyway because Kuroo had definitely seen Tooru over the past few weeks right after they’d woken up (but after they’d done their hair, of course). They sent pictures and Snaps all the time, saw each other whenever they could, kissed and cuddled and were every disgusting couple cliché Tooru could have asked for.

They’d spent so much time together, Kuroo was starting to seem like he’d always just been there.

So why on earth were they so fucking nervous for this date?

It was nowhere near the level of anxiety that had wracked them when they’d asked Kuroo out, but it was close. Their knees felt weak when they thought about spending hours and hours in such a special place with him.

What if they ran out of things to talk about? What if Kuroo didn’t like gardens? What if Kuroo had a horrible allergic reaction to one of the plants? What if Tooru’s palms got all sweaty when they held hands?

There were just about a million things that could have gone wrong, but Tooru tried their best not to linger on them as they approached the library. However nervous they were, they were also ecstatic that they were going on their first “official” date. They’d get to see Kuroo. All day. No classes or work or friends to interrupt them. Just the two of them in one of Tooru’s favorite places on the face of the planet.

Kuroo was already waiting by the library doors by the time Tooru arrived. He looked just as wonderful as he always did, in black skinny jeans and grey Chucks and a black and white striped sweater with a few buttons at the top–buttons that were undone to show off the tantalizing lines of his collarbone. He leaned against the building in the picturesque profile of a nonchalant badboy (frankly hilarious given his actual personality), one foot propped up against the wall and completely immersed in his phone.

Tooru, in a pale green crop top and grey cardigan and distressed lightwash jeans, felt like they were barely keeping up. At least it had a little blue alien on the front pocket?

God, why did Kuroo have to be so attractive _all the time_.

“Tetsu-chaaaan~” Tooru sang as they waltzed up to Kuroo, teasingly sashaying their hips.

Kuroo looked up from his phone and the aloof composure of his face immediately gave way to the goofy affection he melted into around Tooru. It was an expression he wore for very few people: warmth in the near blackness of his eyes and softness in the sharp curves of his grinning lips. He looked that way at Kenma and now he looked that way at Tooru.

“Hey baby,” Kuroo said fondly, stuffing his phone into his pocket and straightening up.

Warmth spread from Tooru’s chest all the way into their fingers and toes as Kuroo purred out the word “baby” like a goddamn lovestruck teenager. It was embarrassing how strongly they reacted to the little things like that. How goosebumps would erupt all over their body if Kuroo so much as flicked his tongue inside their mouth; how they’d lose their breath when Kuroo snaked an arm around their waist and pulled them close; how they’d read his cute little texts over and over before they went to sleep, until their eyes refused to stay open anymore.

Thankfully there was no one around to watch Tooru turn a dozen different shades of pink. The university was completely dead. There weren’t even stray students hanging around the grounds trying to study. Everyone was either hauled up in the warmth of their rooms or out with their partners enjoying the holiday. It was almost creepy, how silent the campus was.

Hopefully the gardens would be equally as abandoned. It was generally the larger ones that were popular on Christmas Eve anyway.

Tooru trotted up to Kuroo and threw their arms around his neck, drawing him in for a kiss. Kuroo obliged them without hesitation, wrapping both arms around their waist and kissing them slow and deep.

“Hello to you too,” Tooru chirped cheerfully when they broke apart, cheeks a little rosy. “Are you ready to go or would you like to just keep kissing me like that? I’m honestly fine either way.”

Kuroo grinned and rested his hands on Tooru’s hips. He gave them a few more pecks in response, trailing from the corner of their mouth to the arch of their cheekbone, before stepping back and lacing their fingers together.

“I think I’m satisfied for the time being,” Kuroo smirked. “Shall we? I’d like to finally get to say we went on our first date.”

“That would be nice,” Tooru smiled back. They gave Kuroo’s hand a nice, firm squeeze before gently pulling him away from the library and down the sidewalk leading away from campus.

It was starting to get pretty chilly, even during midday. Nearing the end of December, winter was taking over and the air always seemed to be hovering just below Tooru’s tolerance. They shivered a little as they walked, but they used the breeze as an excuse to press up against Kuroo for warmth. He was completely unaffected, even though it couldn’t have been above four degrees outside.

“How are you not cold?” they grumbled as a tremor overtook them.

“Because I’m not wearing a goddamn crop top in December,” Kuroo snorted exasperatedly.

“I’m wearing a cardigan,” Tooru countered, waving the fluffy grey hem at him emphatically.

“I’m sure that’s helpful,” Kuroo said, rolling his eyes. “Come here, idiot.”

He wound an arm around their side, pulling them flush against him. Maybe it was the added body temperature, maybe it was the crackling heat that spread through Tooru’s whole body at the feeling of Kuroo’s firm, rough hand on their bare waist, but Tooru suddenly felt very, _very_ warm. Kuroo too looked pleasantly toasty, with a nice rosy hue to his skin spreading from his cheeks down his throat and splaying like pink wings over his collarbone.

Stupid gorgeous bastard.

“Do I get to know where we’re going now?” Kuroo asked lightly. He made no acknowledgement of how hot the air between them was. They were both blushing like schoolkids despite having their hands all over each other for the past two weeks.

“Nope,” Tooru twittered cheerfully, sticking out their tongue with a cheeky grin. “You’ll see soon enough though. Hopefully, anyway.”

Kuroo looked confused and let out a sullen puff of air but Tooru didn’t give any more information.

They couldn’t help but feel apprehensive as they walked down the sidewalk together in contented silence. Tooru was a little worried about the frost that morning, about the temperature being too consistently low recently. They knew the gardens were still open, but they were nervous that everything would be dead and depressing.

That didn’t _seem_ to be the case as the tops of the taller trees came into view in the distance. It seemed to be just warm enough for the plants to be clinging to life–the last petals and leaves stubbornly fastened to the hardened stalks of their hibernating trees and bushes. It wasn’t as vibrant as it was in the spring for sure. There were many visible skeletons of trees dotted amongst the living, but at least it wasn’t completely bare and lifeless.

“Is that it?” Kuroo asked as they neared the gardens, pointing at the little bits of green sticking up over the buildings only a few blocks away.

“That would be it, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru trilled, bouncing a little in their excitement.

Kuroo’s mouth stretched into a face-splitting grin, eyes sparkling excitedly, and Tooru felt a swell of pride in their chest. They’d have to thank Iwaizumi later for the idea, when he wasn’t being a prick.

“Is this an acceptable destination for a first date?” they asked coyly.

“God yes,” Kuroo said, not even trying to conceal his enthusiasm behind his usual cool exterior. “I haven’t been to a garden in forever.”

“I’m glad,” Tooru hummed satisfactorily. “Though I am sorry that we’re coming when everything is kind of… dying.”

“Everything is always dying, if you think about it,” Kuroo said sagely.

Tooru snorted. “Yes, well, it would probably be nice if the trees were actually green and flowering.”

Kuroo just shrugged, still grinning, still allowing Tooru to lean most of their weight against him. There was a carefree air about him and the way his teeth were glinting with the width of his smile.

He didn’t say it out loud, but Tooru saw from the firmness of his grip and the skip in his loping gait that they probably could have taken him to a goddamn McDonald’s and he’d be having the time of his life. Thank god he was so easily entertained. They’d be counting on that, because it looked like there were just about as many dead trees as living ones as they got closer and closer to the main entrance.

Tooru frowned dejectedly. They honestly hadn’t really thought much about the state of the gardens before picking this location. A few weeks ago, it probably would have been decorated with the last living blossoms of the season. However, right before Christmas, the gardens were just barely holding onto the fall.

This wasn’t the place that Tooru had been so excited to show him. This place was a ghost of the fantasy world that had gotten them through the past year.

Kuroo must have seen the utter disappointment in Tooru’s eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but then they rounded the corner to the ticket counter and were greeted by a familiar, “Hey, Tooru! It’s nice to see you.”

Of course Yahaba would be the one working today. Their old friend was wearing a lax expression that looked almost bored. He leaned on crossed arms over the ticket counter, one brow arching as he spotted Kuroo and Tooru's clasped hands.

“Shigeru,” Tooru replied with a friendly dip of their head.

“Oooooo Tooru, got yourself a beau I see,” Yahaba cooed fiendishly, leaning even more heavily on the counter. “I'm surprised. Didn't think anyone could tolerate you for long enough to actually date you.”

“Thank you, Shi-kun,” Tooru said sarcastically.

“Just telling ‘em like I see ‘em,” Yahaba replied, holding up his hands in defense.

“Do you two know each other?” Kuroo cut in pleasantly. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by Yahaba being...well. Yahaba.

“Ah, yes, this is Yahaba Shigeru. We played volleyball together. Shigeru, this is Kuroo Tetsurou,” Tooru explained, and Yahaba smiled a little more warmly at Kuroo.

“Nice to meet you Kuroo-san,” Yahaba said. His head fell to the side a little and he took his lip between his teeth in a way that Tooru did _not_ like. “You really did manage to wrangle a _gorgeous_ specimen didn't you Tooru?”

“I refuse to answer that,” Tooru said flatly.

“It's nice to meet you too,” Kuroo said with a shallow nod. “And just Kuroo is fine. ‘San’ makes me feel like an old man.”

“You are an old man, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru teased.

Kuroo stuck his tongue out at them in the most undignified way possible. Tooru replied in kind. They tugged on their eyelid and making a little “mleh” noise. Behind them came a snort and a “yeah you seem perfect for each other” from Yahaba as he rummaged around for their tickets.

Kuroo broke first, laughing and leaning forward to kiss the tip of Tooru's nose.

“I'm sure I'll win someday but you're just too fucking cute,” he chuckled, reaching for his wallet.

Tooru smacked his hand away with a tsk. They wagged a finger at him, clicking their tongue disapprovingly. Kuroo blinked in confusion.

“ _I'm_ the one who's taking you on a date Tetsu-chan,” they scolded, pulling out a few bills and swapping Yahaba for the tickets.

“Is that how this works?” Kuroo asked with his lips pulling sideways again.  

“Yes it is~”

Tooru winked at Yahaba. He just shook his head in response with a quiet chuckle.

“You two have fun. It's basically empty here today so you pretty much have the gardens to yourself.”

“Thank you!” Kuroo said brightly, waving goodbye as Tooru tugged on him with an impatient whine.

“Yes, thank you Shi-kun. Have fun doing nothing while I go make out with my super hot boyfriend!” Tooru jeered with a broad grin.

“Just don't fuck in the bushes, semen clogs up the root systems!” Yahaba called back. Tooru frowned (loudly) but Kuroo just burst into laughter.

“He seems like a nice guy,” Kuroo mused, loping lazily alongside Tooru.

“He is, when he's not being a brat or fucking the groundskeeper,” Tooru replied.

They flicked a hair out of their eyes and wondered if they put enough product in to last the evening. They didn’t have time to think much about the predicament they might be in come nightfall before they paused at a junction in the path.

Tooru looked around at the scene on either side of them. It seemed like a little more than half of the trees and shrubs were dying, more than the bits poking out over the fence were letting on. They frowned again. The garden was always so lush, so vibrant and full of life but that day it was just… bleak. It was the twiggy, skeletal remains left behind by fall.

Tooru tried to decide which way to take Kuroo, but it seemed like either way would lead them towards rows upon rows of dead or hibernating vegetation. Tooru felt defeated. This wasn’t their sanctuary. This wasn’t the place that held so much healing and joy and beauty.

It was stupid for Tooru to be so upset by a few dead plants but they couldn’t help it. Kuroo was important to them, dammit, and they’d wanted to make this experience special for him.

“You okay?” Kuroo asked with a brief tightening of his grip. “You seem upset.”

“It's just… It's usually so beautiful here,” Tooru brooded, gesturing at the landscape. “There's always stuff flowering and it's so green and right now it's just… Really dead. And or dying.”

Tooru felt a pang of guilt in their chest. Their initial excitement was slowly giving way to crushing disappointment. Whatever Kuroo had been expecting, this was definitely not it. They’d let him down.

“So what?” Kuroo asked seriously. He looked Tooru square in the face.

“So, I don't know much about first dates but I'm fairly certain they don't usually include a dying garden,” Tooru griped. “This place is really special to me and I wanted to show you how great it can be.”

“I dunno. I don’t think it’s bad. If this place is important then it’s important no matter what, right?” Kuroo tilted his head a little. His tone was calm and serious. “You can’t expect things to always be blooming and growing, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful.”

It was times like this that reminded Tooru why they’d fallen for Kuroo in the first place. He wasn’t even trying to cheer them up, really. He was just stating reality as he saw it. Kuroo’s reality was sometimes a little too optimistic for Tooru’s liking, but it was necessary when self-blame conducted Tooru’s thoughts. He kept their prickly pessimism in check.

Sometimes even a cactus needed to get pruned.

Kuroo's demeanor was so soft in that moment it was hard to believe this was the person who made snide comments about Tooru's need to match their socks with their underwear. They would have teased him for being so sentimental but they really couldn't. Not when he was so sincere.

They let some of the weight of the dull atmosphere roll from their shoulders. While Tooru’s brightness had dwindled a bit, Kuroo’s certainly hadn’t. He looked just as excited as he had when he’d first caught sight of the gardens.

If Kuroo was happy, that was more than enough for them.

“You’re so poetic Tetsu-chan,” they said arily, but the way their lips unfurled from their usual sardonic coil gave them away. Kuroo just snorted at them. He unlaced their fingers in favor of wrapping an arm around Tooru’s waist again and kissed their temple.

“Now that you’ve stopped having a tantrum over a few dead trees will you show me around?” Kuroo said. There was the affectionate sarcasm that strung them so tightly together.

“Well excuse me for wanting to give you the best experience possible,” Tooru sniffed. “Next time I’ll plan a date at a cemetery if you’re going to lecture me about date quality.”

“A cemetery would actually be kind of cool. Lots of history,” Kuroo reasoned completely unironically.

Tooru pulled them both down the right trail leading into a small grove of coniferous trees that would still be nice and green and balked at him. “It’s a field, Tetsu-chan, filled with dead bodies.”

“Dead bodies, memories, and hella spooky spiritual energy,” Kuroo said with a little creepy wiggle of his fingers.

“None of that sounds even remotely appealing.”

Kuroo shook his head with a smirk and a begrudgingly conceding shrug. Tooru kissed his shoulder because as _weird_ as Kuroo was with stuff like this he was also just so… unique. He was definitely never boring. And while Tooru might not agree with a lot of his more outlandish ideas, they knew he didn’t really put much stock in Tooru’s completely factually-backed conspiracy theories (the Russians were the first people on the moon and Tooru could _prove it dammit_ ). Yet he listened to them anyway, truly engaged and looking at Tooru like every word they spoke was law.

He was a damn sap. But he was Tooru’s sap.

“So, tell me about all these trees,” Kuroo said, waving a hand at the rows of foliage on either side of them. “I’m a horticulture novice. Teach me.”

“Well first of all, you need to know the difference between horticulture and botany,” Tooru retaliated.

Kuroo feigned irritation but his grin only widened. “Fine. Educate my ignorant ass on plant sciences.”

“Well, botany is just the study of plants and plant life–plant biology really,” Tooru explained pedantically. As they walked, they pointed out some of their favorites for Kuroo’s unrefined eyes. “Horticulture, on the other hand, is the study of how humans and plants interact. Think of it like the difference between neuroscience and psychology. Horticulture allows you to put botany into practice. I definitely think botany is absolutely fascinating but what I’d really like to do is–what the hell are you doing Tetsurou?”

Tooru stopped dead in their tracks to prevent Kuroo from running headlong into a tree. He blinked at the trunk about two inches from his nose and flinched back like he'd was just then seeing it.

“Did you phase out of existence?” Tooru asked wryly.

Kuroo just shook his head, side-stepping the tree.

“What were you doing?” Tooru repeated, a little more concerned when Kuroo didn’t say anything.

He shook his head again, then smacked himself in the face. He proceeded to turn a color Tooru had never seen him turn before. It was bright, burning red. For a moment Tooru blanched in panic because they thought maybe Kuroo was choking or something?? But then he peeked at them through his fingers and mumbled something completely unintelligible.

“I didn't understand a single word of that,” Tooru said blankly. “Are you having a stroke Tetsurou?”

“No,” Kuroo muttered. “No I just…”

“You just what Tetsu-chan?” Tooru asked. It was reassuring that he could at least speak.

“I just… Kind of zoned out… Looking at you… oh my god.”

Tooru was sure they actually physically combusted at that point. They tried to hide the flush they knew was erupting on their cheeks behind a hand but it was no use. Kuroo's fingers lowered to reveal his entire blushing face. He wore an odd mixture of affection and embarrassment in the sunset sand of his skin.

“Are you flustered, Tooru?” he asked amusedly.

“Of course not,” Tooru said confidently. They tried to play it off by moving their hand from their mouth and grinning, but their pitchy voice gave them away.

“You absolutely are, you shit liar,” Kuroo accused with a playful jab at Tooru's side.

They yelped completely indecently. Kuroo's momentary distress melted behind a laugh that returned his dusty freckled complexion. Tooru tried to recover their dignity with a pout. It was hard to maintain anything of the sort with how _stunning_ Kuroo was when he laughed like that: head thrown back and eyes crinkled at the corners with the flawless trail of freckles down from his cheeks to his jaw, throat, and chest exposed in the afternoon sunlight.

But he had almost run into a tree staring at them so they couldn't let him live that down.

“I'm not flustered. Few can withstand the hypnotic qualities of my good looks for long,” they said, guiding Kuroo back along the path.

“Pffft okay, whatever you say Noodle-kawa,” Kuroo chuckled with another eye roll.

“You almost knocked yourself the hell out because you were staring at me,” Tooru pointed out.

“Yeah, well, you get cute when you talk about that kind of stuff,” Kuroo said nonchalantly. He said it like it was a simple factoid and not something that made Tooru's limbs tingle involuntarily. “Like, when you talk about space and plants and whatnot. You talk really fast and it's like you let yourself just… Be for a bit.”

Tooru tried to physically force down the rush of blood to their cheeks. Thank god Kuroo didn't comment on it any more. He gave them a little peck before changing the subject to something distinctly less troublesome.

“So, will you tell me more about plants and show me around this place?”

“Only if you watch where you're going,” Tooru said with a smirk. With a nod towards the west gardens, the two were off again.

Tooru spent some time explaining a bit more about the different studies of plant sciences themselves. They explained how they hoped they'd be able to integrate the two in their work. Words like “cellulose” and “citric acid cycle” were flung in there like fillers and Kuroo was definitely a bit lost on some of the technical terms. Tooru’s favorite subjects–horticultural botany and floriculture– were discussed in-depth as they passed by the flower gardens.

Though Tooru wasn't sure Kuroo was entirely understanding what they were saying, he listened and asked questions and seemed genuinely interested. Kuroo was like that.

Tooru saw it during that night with Kenma, when they'd been discussing conspiracy theories and the multiverse theory. Kuroo just sat there quietly and listened with a frankly adorable look of casual bewilderment on his face. He seemed to have an “I don't understand what the fuck is going on here but I'm having fun anyway” attitude in general. Besides, he was smart as hell. It was pretty easy for him to piece things together even if he didn't understand it one hundred percent.

In any case, by the time they were well into the gardens and it was late in the afternoon he was at least able to parse apart the various plant science disciplines.

“So you want to go into… You said it's florticulture?” he clarified as Tooru stopped them to observe some abelia spathulata (in the honeysuckle family).

“It's called floriculture, but you were close,” Tooru hummed. “And yes, I'd love to work somewhere like here. Ornamental plants are just really beautiful. Useful too, if they're kept from becoming invasive.”

Kuroo nodded like he understood and bent down to smell some of the flowers. Tooru watched his eyes flutter shut in concentration. He inhaled deeply a few times, and Tooru smiled at him. So cute.

They flicked open their phone to check the time. They hadn’t gotten very far, with all the wandering and chatting Tooru had been doing. They guessed they’d probably been walking for about a half an hour or so.

Tooru’s phone lit up, and they thought for a moment it was broken.

It was almost four in the afternoon. They'd been there for nearly two hours.

It was alarming how lost in time Tooru seemed to be getting lately. These past few weeks they’d definitely missed a class or two while kissing Kuroo or talking to Kuroo or drawing patterns in Kuroo’s skin. Tooru wished the seconds with Kuroo would pass like hours rather than the other way around.

As Tooru tapped their phone to life they saw that they also had a few messages, but decided they’d deal with those later.

“What time is it?” Kuroo asked, peering over Tooru's shoulder.

“Nosy Tetsu-chan,” Tooru chided playfully, though they couldn't have cared less about Kuroo seeing their phone. “But it's almost four.”

“Fuck, is it really that late? Doesn't this place close in like a half an hour?” Kuroo asked, ruffling the bristly hair on the back of his head.

“Technically yes, but you're with a VIP today Tetsu-chan,” Tooru said.

“Yeah? How's that?”

“I've gotten to know the head groundskeeper quite well and trust me, he won't kick us out,” Tooru explained simply.

“Is this the same groundskeeper your friend is sleeping with?” Kuroo asked curiously.

“Well, yes and no. Shi-kun sleeps with pretty much all of the groundskeepers. The lead is head-over-heels for him but Shi-kun has another favorite. Either way, Yamamoto wouldn't dare evict me because Yahaba would absolutely punish him for that,” Tooru said and Kuroo snickered.

“You're very involved in the gossip here,” he observed.

“It's entertaining,” Tooru said dismissively. “Plus I find Shi-kun’s insatiable sexual appetite relatable and his infatuation with big, beefy men amusing.”

While they chatted, Tooru looked around to find a suitable place for the two of them to take a break. The past few hours of walking were catching up with them and they needed to rest their legs for a bit. They settled on a bench a little ways from the edge of the path that overlooked one of Tooru's favorite ponds here.

Few things on the planet were as ethereal as water surrounded by living, growing things.

“Have you gotten in on any of that action?” Kuroo asked, swinging an arm around Tooru’s shoulders so they could lean against his blessed side.

“No, they are all very distinctly not my type.”

“Oh? Then what is your type?” Kuroo asked.

_You are, you beautiful oblivious bastard._

“I like my men like good shot: neat, intoxicating, and burning my mouth and or throat as they go down.”

Kuroo almost choked on air.

“Good lord Tooru,” Kuroo sputtered, holding his chest and half-laughing, half-coughing.

Tooru just grinned. They straightened up a little as Kuroo snorted his way back from shock, but made sure to keep their thighs and sides pressed firmly together. Tooru didn’t like losing contact with Kuroo’s body. Even if it made wrangling their phone out of their pocket nearly impossible.

They managed it, though, right around the time when Kuroo had finally regained his composure.

“Do you mind if I check my texts?” Tooru asked. “I had a few and I want to make sure no one is, like, having a heart attack or something.”

“Sure, sure. I'll check mine too,” Kuroo agreed.

Tooru leaned over to brush their lips across Kuroo's cheek before checking their messages for anything that needed immediate attention.

 

 _[16:03]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Don't forget about that test you have this week._

[16:03] **TooruBelieves:** I won't, thanks mom-chan :P

 _[16:04]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _You told me to remind you, Shittykawa_

[16:04] **TooruBelieves:** Details~~

 _[16:05]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Whatever_

 _[16:06]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Are you still on your date?_

[16:06] **TooruBelieves:** I am :D

 _[16:06]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _How's it going?_

[16:07] **TooruBelieves:** It's wonderful~~

 _[16:07]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Great_

[16:07] **TooruBelieves:** Oh yes~

[16:08] **TooruBelieves:** If Tetsu is in my bed tonight I'll definitely have you to thank :) :)

 _[16:09]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Please don't_

 _[16:10]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _But I'm glad it's going well_

[16:11] **TooruBelieves:** Me too :) :) I'll see you later Iwa-chan!!!!

 _[16:11]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Later_

 

**[CatDad]**

_[14:48]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Hey do you wanna go out tonight???_

[16:03] **CatDad:** Dude I'd love to but I'm on a date with Tooru and I'm kind of hoping it'll last for a bit

 _[16:04]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Ahhhhh totally totally no worries, some other time :)_

 _[16:04]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _How’s the date going??? :D_

[16:05] **CatDad:** It’s awesome. They took me to the botanical gardens by the school

 _[16:06]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Omgggggg that’s so fucking cute dude!!!_

[16:06] **CatDad:** Yeah it’s super great :) :)

[16:07] **CatDad:** They know so much about plants and flowers and it’s just adorable to listen to them talk

 _[06:08]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Sounds disgustingly romantic :P_

[16:09] **CatDad:** You literally took Keiji to the zoo for your first date so you could talk about owls

 _[16:11]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _-_-_

 _[16:11]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Yeah okay you’re right_

 _[16:12]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Still disgustingly romantic though XP_

[16:12] **CatDad:** Whatever XD

[16:13] **CatDad:** Is Keiji going out with you???

 _[16:13]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _No they work tonight :(_

[16:14] **CatDad:** Damn I’m sorry :/

 _[16:15]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _It’s okay, me and some of the other single dancers are hitting the bars :) Keiji and I are doing something tomorrow_

 _[16:16]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Ugh okay Keiji playing dress-up with me I gotta go_

[16:17] **CatDad:** Sounds good :) have fun going out!

 _[16:17]_ **_BigHoot:_ ** _Yeah!!!! You too!!!_

 

Tooru finished texting before Kuroo. He knew this because he was about halfway through one last message to Bokuto when Tooru's arms wound tight around his middle and they were quite literally whining for attention in his ear.

“Tetsu-chaaannnn!” they wailed quietly, bumping his shoulder with their forehead uncannily like Okami when he needed pets. Petting Tooru didn't seem like the appropriate response in this situation though.

“You're so impatient, you know that right?” Kuroo said, opting for poking Tooru in the nose instead.

They grunted indignantly, pulling back a little bit still holding steadfast to Kuroo's waist. He wasn't upset about that.

He wasn’t upset about anything that was happening that afternoon. After Tooru got over their initial upset at the state of the gardens, they’d become the pinnacle of hosts. They described each individual garden they entered in detail–the plants, the landscape, the history; all of it from memory.

There was nothing on earth more attractive to Kuroo than a good mixture of intelligence and passion. Tooru had each of those to spare. As they walked around Kuroo couldn’t help but stare more at them than anything else. It was probably quite beautiful, but nothing in the world was more entrancing than the sight of soft brown eyes, twittering delicate lips, and the bounce of chestnut hair beside him.

They were cute. They were _sexy_. Kuroo had half a mind to forgo Yahaba’s earlier advice and drag Tooru behind a bush so he could sate the hunger to have his mouth all over their body. He managed to fight that urge. Somehow.

Listening to them talk was captivating enough to keep him more than satisfied just exploring these gardens with them. If Tooru’s intention was to have Kuroo completely wrapped around their finger by Christmas, they were well ahead of schedule.

“It took you like fifteen minutes to text your friend,” Tooru complained loudly.

“He was asking about our date, Noodle-kawa,” Kuroo retorted. “And just so you know I was kindly declining his offer to go out so I could stay with you.”

Tooru stilled. “Really? You know I don't care if you go out with your friends tonight.”

“Yeah of course, but I'm _choosing_ to stay with you,” Kuroo replied with a swipe of one of Tooru's gravity-defying brunette fronds for bangs.

Tooru perked up somewhat, even as they batted away Kuroo's hand.

“Well, what would you like to do now Tetsu-chan?” Tooru asked brightly, unraveling their arms but staying glued to Kuroo's side. Kuroo was so silently grateful that Tooru was such an unconsciously touchy person. He liked touching them. A lot.

“There's a lot of the gardens left to see, isn't there? You could keep showing me around,” Kuroo suggested. “Or we can sit and talk for a bit.”

“Hmmm. I like the second option,” Tooru decided. “What do you want to talk about?”

Kuroo took a moment to think. There were about a million questions floating around in his head, so many things he wanted to know about Tooru and their life. Starting small seemed like a good idea though.

“Do you have a favorite plant?” Kuroo asked.

Tooru took a moment to think. Their toes scraped the ground as they kicked their legs back and forth under the bench. One of their hands wandered onto Kuroo’s thigh, almost thoughtlessly like that was where it belonged.

“You know, as much as I love flowers, I really love succulents,” they said decisively.

“Yeah? What about succulents do you like? You have a collection don't you?” Kuroo asked.

“I do! I'll have to show you sometime. And oh god, I love pretty much everything,” Tooru bubbled, and there was that bewitching look of almost childlike wonder in their eyes. “Like, they’re super great for beginning gardeners because they’re super hard to kill. Iwa managed to do it though–he murdered one I gave him for his birthday and I honestly have no idea how. And they’re–well, okay so you can also cut off bits and grow new plants. That’s called propagating. Not all plants can do it. And they have so many colors, and textures too! There’s soft ones and squishy ones and–Tetsurou _stop staring at me like that!_ ”

Tooru swatted at Kuroo’s face to get him to turn his head. The only thing it actually did was widen Kuroo’s grin.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kuroo asserted even though they definitely weren’t wrong. He knew it was ridiculous but he couldn’t physically stop himself from doing it. There was nothing in existence that could rival the allure of an open-hearted Tooru.

“You’re absolutely embarrassing Tetsu-chan,” Tooru huffed, but it didn’t matter because they were flushed and flustered again and it was wonderful.

Not wanting to truly upset them, Kuroo did stop gawking at them. Instead, he followed Tooru’s gaze out over the pond. The trees and shrubs on the far bank were an interesting collection of greens, greys, and the burning hues of autumn. There were some still stubbornly withstanding the cold, while others had long shed their leaves to retreat into their trunks for the winter.

“Why do some trees stay alive longer than others?” Kuroo asked, nodding across the water.

“It depends on a lot of different factors. All deciduous trees–those are the leafy kinds–lose their leaves when the weather gets too cold. It’s to help preserve water and whatnot. But coniferous trees shed their needles and fronds all year and they more or less ‘hybernate’ during the winter,” Tooru explained, demonstrating the various types of leaves and tree habits with their hands. “So it’s really just two different ways to not die during the winter.”

Kuroo nodded, enjoying more than anything the excitement in Tooru’s eyes rather than the actual content they were sharing. It was so interesting, because Kuroo would never have pinned Tooru as someone who liked plants so much. They took a lot of time and care and effort. While Tooru was the farthest thing from lazy, he wouldn’t have guessed they would enjoy something so tedious.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what got you into botany?” Kuroo asked gently, watching Tooru kick their legs out as they stared over the pond.

Their face did something odd then. It softened in a very bittersweet sort of way. The corner of their mouth turned up but there was something wistful in their eyes, some kind of nostalgia flushing their cheeks and Kuroo was immediately both worried and interested.

“I got into after, um, volleyball last year,” they said in a much more serious voice than Kuroo was used to hearing. “It was… yeah. So I came here like all the time. Yahaba introduced me actually. I mean, I’ve always really loved gardens, but this place was… there’s something really healing about it, you know? Plants, flowers and ferns and trees and even weeds, they just… they don’t know how to do anything but grow and keep growing. No matter what. I don’t know what I would have done without realizing that. So now I’d like to give back.”

Tooru chuckled and fluffed up the back of their hair, the color in their cheeks deepening even more. “That probably sounds weird, to say about plants.”

“No,” Kuroo insisted, covering the back of Tooru’s hand with his own. “It makes sense.”

Tooru’s lips curled even more but they didn’t say anything else. Kuroo didn’t want to unearth anything that might be painful, and he was sure he probably was going to, but he was curious and he wanted to understand. He wanted to _know_ , everything about Tooru and what put that discomfort in their eyes all of a sudden.

“You didn’t join the team again this year,” Kuroo said as tactfully as he could. “Can I ask why?”

Tooru stiffened and Kuroo was sure he’d hit a nerve.

They were quiet for some time, staring intently at the rustling bushes across the pond. It was like they were looking back at a different time, swallowing hard as something arduous replayed behind their eyes just out of Kuroo’s reach. He wanted to pull them close and kiss them but he didn’t. He’d already intruded so much that he couldn’t bring himself to thrust himself into their space anymore.

“It wasn’t voluntary if that’s what you’re asking,” they said eventually, thickly. “I was kicked off.”

“Kicked off?” Kuroo asked.

Tooru nodded. They looked stony, like they had when Kuroo told them about Saeko. God, he hated that look so fucking much. Still, Kuroo listened patiently. He watched as Tooru pulled their lower lip into their mouth before sighing heavily and continuing.

“Yeah. It wasn’t a performance thing. I was the best setter they’d had in years and they knew it. I carried them. But it… I came out. And that was a fucking mistake. My coach–he’d never say he was transphobic or anything but it was made _very_ clear to me that this was a university-level boy’s team and if I wasn’t a _boy_ there was no place for me there.”

Well.

Fuck.

Kuroo’s blood felt toxic as it rushed through his body. His veins were saturated with anger and disgust because _what the fuck_.

He was still and he tried not to react. He wasn't even sure how to react. He just knew he suddenly wanted to punch their coach right in the face.

Tooru exhaled like their lungs were filled with lead and leaned forward. They rested their elbows on their knees, rubbing their hands together and not bothering to keep the chilling bitterness from their voice.

“I think what hurts the most isn’t the transphobia to be honest. It’s that I was _good_ . I was really fucking good and since elementary school I knew that I wanted to go professional. I probably could have right out of highschool but I wanted to get a degree in something just in case, you know? And I just… I worked so hard Tetsurou. I put my _blood_ into that fucking team and they just tossed me aside like some second-rate setter and it fucking sucked.”

Kuroo hated how still Tooru was. He hated how flat their face and tone were. He didn't like to see Tooru crying but this was somehow even worse. This was a Tooru so driven by pain that they decided it was better to just not express any feeling at all. It made Kuroo heart twist so hard in his chest he thought it might tear something.

He also didn’t know what to say. “Sorry” seemed so shallow and meaningless. It was one thing to just not put in enough effort, but it was something else to give something your all and still fail.

“I think… I think that just proves how strong you are,” Kuroo finally said. “I know that’s stupid cheesy but honestly. You lost something huge and you found something else to love and that’s… something not very many people would do. It’s really impressive. And I’m… I’m really… I’m proud to be your boyfriend.”

That last bit was almost painfully cliché and corny but Kuroo didn’t care. It was just the truth.

Tooru didn’t really seem to mind either. Their mouth quirked again and they shifted to their feet. They didn't look at Kuroo until they were fully upright, holding out a hand and looking at least a smidgen less cold.

“Thank you Tetsu-chan, though you are basically an entire block of cheese,” they teased. They sounded more grateful than they'd care to let on. And the sarcasm was back, so Kuroo allowed himself to relax as well. “Shall we? There's so much more of the park to see.”

Kuroo smiled and allowed Tooru to haul him to his feet. Their fingers intertwined immediately, like it was the only place they could logically be.

It was the only place Kuroo could logically imagine himself being, anyway.

“Where are we going next?” Kuroo asked a little more cheerfully.

Tooru hummed, leaving the air of solemnity behind them on the bench as they walked down the path.

“I’m not sure. Anything you’d like to see, Tetsu-chan?” they inquired in a much less troubled tone.

“Anywhere. Maybe your favorite place?” Kuroo suggested.

"That’s unfair Tetsu-chan, I love the whole garden!” Tooru bickered facetiously. “But I guess my absolute favorite part is—here, I'll show you."

Tooru took Kuroo's hand and once again took the lead.

They weren’t even trying to act cool anymore. They chatted easily and zealously about each plant they passed, about why the different sections of the gardens were organized the way they were, about the various aesthetic or practical uses they all had. They pulled up pictures on their phone about what some of the dead shrubs and trees looked like when they were flowering, and ranted about how how they absolutely had to come back in the spring.

It was a throwaway comment amongst the hundreds of others Tooru spouted, but it made Kuroo glow. Because Tooru saw them dating that well into the future.

Really, Kuroo couldn’t imagine anything more remarkable and exciting than that.

They walked for quite a while, meandering down the paths, obviously not in any hurry to get where they were going. Tooru insisted they pause to take some quintessential date photos to be uploaded to Facebook and Instagram, which probably delayed them by at least twenty minutes. Kuroo was learning not be irritated by it though. It was really cute that Tooru was so adamant about documenting their time together, after all.

The sun was setting by the time Tooru excitedly pointed out that they were finally nearing the anticipated favorite place.

Kuroo saw why before it even came fully into view. It was one of the farthest from the entrance, right near the fenced edge of the gardens. Clear, shimmering water lined each side of the path, with a little island rising up out of the pond on their right. It was a hilly landscape, rising and falling with dozens of different types of vegetation in a rainbow of different colors. Everything took on a peachy glow from the flaring arms of the sunset to the west, giving it a very fantastical feel. It was almost like walking into a dreamscape.

“Wow,” Kuroo said. He kept his voice quiet instinctively, like he would disturb the fae that undoubtedly lived here if he spoke too loud. “It’s beautiful, Tooru.”

“Isn’t it?” Tooru murmured softly.

Tooru squeezed Kuroo’s hand and led them very slowly through the garden, not bothering to keep to the path. For the first time, Tooru was silent. They didn’t offer any trivia about the plants–plants very familiar to Kuroo, since this garden was reserved for those native to Japan. Instead, their face was decorated with unclouded serenity. Kuroo felt like the light from the horizon was actually radiating from the honeyed twinkle in Tooru’s eyes.

It was so peaceful. So perfect.

They ambled around aimlessly for quite a while. Long enough for the sun to dip completely below to horizon and the orange glow to give way to the indigo veil of evening. Little lights sprung to life all around them, lighting their way as the air steadily grew darker and darker.

“It’s so beautiful here,” Kuroo said in a hushed voice, finally breaking the silence.

“Isn’t it?” Tooru whispered.

They stopped at the end of the path by a tool shed. Tooru just looked out at the water and the trees and the grass like they couldn’t have been happier if they tried.

Kuroo couldn’t help himself. They were just too lovely like this. He let go of Tooru, and they gave him a sidelong glance of confusion before Kuroo was kissing them open-mouthed, holding their face in both his hands.

They let out a muted sigh into Kuroo’s mouth, placing both hands on his shoulders. His head tilted to the side, trying to get as much of Tooru into his senses as humanly possible. The force of Kuroo’s overwhelming affection pushed them back until their feet collided with the shed. They broke away from him for a moment, long enough to beam exhilaratingly back at him.

Dear god in heaven, had there ever been someone who looked so gorgeous in the twilight? Was it acceptable to be falling for someone so hard, so fast?

Experience taught Kuroo that this was dangerous. Experience told him to slow the hell down and not let his heart reach out so desperately for the person in front of him. Experience told him that if he kept going, he was going to get hurt.

Screw experience. Kuroo _wanted_ Tooru.

Tooru leaned back against the ribbed paneling of the shed, yanking Kuroo with them. They tugged him until they were so close their bodies were almost pressed together.

Kuroo's chest heaved in time with his hammering heart. Tooru's hand was tangled in his hair, pulling his mouth towards them. They stopped when their lips were a centimeter apart, close enough for their breath to tickle his nose. It was just a beat, just long enough for Tooru to search his face. Then their mouths were clashing together, steady and firm, pliant and hungry.

Kuroo flicked his tongue over Tooru's lips. It briefly crossed his mind that it might be odd for him to want to _taste_ them so much, but they weren't complaining. They just gave a tiny hum of satisfaction and tilted their head to the side.

They tasted so, so good. He wanted to taste them until the tangy fruity flavor of their chapstick dissolved completely on his tongue and there was nothing left but Tooru to kiss.

He felt a prickling heat start to crawl up from his chest, crackling through his limbs and down to his gut. It was too much for him to handle. Kuroo regretfully pulled away from them, resting his forehead against Tooru’s shoulder.

“Why’d you stop?” Tooru complained breathily, running their fingers through Kuroo’s hair.

“You're way, _way_ too good at making out,” Kuroo chuckled weakly.

“Isn't that a reason to keep going?” Tooru replied with a humored sigh.

“I don't want to be cruel to my poor neglected libido,” Kuroo said.

“We don't have to be,” Tooru pointed out.

“Are you planning on fucking me behind a hydrangea Tooru?” Kuroo snickered. “I never knew you were such an exhibitionist.”

Tooru replied by shifting slightly, just enough to grab at Kuroo’s ribs and thrust against him.

A pang of heat sparked from Kuroo’s gut, forcing out a gasp of pleasure. Tooru ground against him again, their own breath coming out in shuddering sighs, and Kuroo felt himself growing far too hard for comfort.

“Tooru,” Kuroo breathed into Tooru’s neck. “Tooru, _god_.”

“Oh my god,” Tooru said, bucking against him. “Never stop saying that.”

“Saying what?” Kuroo asked between pressing kisses all along the sharp line of Tooru’s jaw.

“Tooru. My name,” they said, eyes fluttering shut with a shuddering sigh as Kuroo’s thumbs teased their hipbones.

“Yeah? You're just trying to get out of your nickname, aren't you?” Kuroo teased, nipping at Tooru's neck.

“I'm no— _hngggg_ yeah that's not at all distracting…” Tooru trailed off and bucked against him again. Whatever they were about to say evaporated on the cool air of nightfall.

Kuroo left their lips in favor of their jaw, then their neck, then down to their shoulder: gentle, very wet kisses with minimal teeth but a generous amount of tongue. Tooru's hand wound through his hair which was quickly becoming Kuroo's favorite thing.

“Tooru,” Kuroo half-breathed, half-mumbled into the junction of Tooru's shoulder. “Tooru baby…”

“Oh lord, I might… You… Okay this might have been a bad decision,” Tooru groaned, hips bucking involuntarily.

“I'll stop if you—”

“Nope,” Tooru shook their head. “Nope nope nope. Never stop. But it's… maybe we should stop giving that poor grounds keeper a show.”

Kuroo's eyes darted to the side and he caught sight of someone across the open patch of grass paying very meticulous attention to the hedge they were trimming. Kuroo stepped back immediately, throwing Tooru a glare while they just gave him the most shit-eating grin on the planet.

“How long did you know they were there?”

“Oh hush you grumpy man, he just got here,” Tooru waved the question away with a flick of their wrist.

The groundskeeper in question didn't seem to be paying much attention to them anyway. He was frowning in such a way that it seemed to be the resting position of their mouth. The corner of his lips tugged on the heavy features of his face, brows furrowed and forehead creased as he hacked away at the hedge like it had done him an injustice of some kind.

“Kyokun! Hello! Won't you even say hello to your old senpai?” Tooru called cheerfully, practically beaming over at the dark storm cloud of a person by the hedges.

He didn’t react whatsoever.

“How rude,” Tooru huffed, turning away with a shrug. They hooked elbows with Kuroo and nodded towards the trail leading out of the gardens.

“Do you know them too?” Kuroo asked amusedly.

“Oh yes, I've known Kyokun for a long time. We were on the same high school team.”

“You seem to know most of the people in your life from volleyball,” Kuroo observed.

“Well, it was basically my entire life for about a decade,” Tooru said a little too freely.

“Right.”

Tooru shrugged.

“I tease him and Yahaba about their little flirtationship but honestly it would be refreshing to see them finally admit they're in love.”

Kuroo laughed at the amusement glinting in Tooru’s eyes as they wound their way back towards the entrance. With how dark it was getting, they were walking much more quickly than they had been all afternoon. The gardens seemed much smaller at this pace than they had while they explored: less than half a kilometer across if he had to guess.

It was a wonder that it had taken them several hours to pass through it all, even though they had gone down nearly every path. To be honest, Kuroo would have spent all day, dawn to dusk, in this place in which so much of Tooru’s heart had been placed.

“It’s so dark now, Tetsu-chan. How irresponsible of you to keep me out so late,” Tooru chided, wrapping both arms around Kuroo’s bicep.

“Yeah, it’s definitely _my_ fault that we spent so long here,” Kuroo retorted. “What time is it anyway?”

“Let me check,” Tooru said.

They strained to get their phone out of their pocket, still stubbornly clinging to Kuroo, and flicked it to life. Their eyes got huge.

“No fucking way,” they murmured.

“What? What time is it?” Kuroo asked concernedly.

“It’s almost eight.”

“Shut your fucking mouth, it is not,” Kuroo said incredulously. Tooru lifted their phone emphatically to Kuroo’s face, clearly showing off their galaxy lockscreen and a clock that read 19:58.

Kuroo whistled under his breath. Now that he thought about it, his stomach growled loudly in protest and he realized it was way past his usual dinner time.

“Do you want to grab something to eat on the way home?” Kuroo offered, allowing Tooru to take the lead again in this unfamiliar neighborhood.

“Sure,” Tooru agreed eagerly. “There’s a ramen place near my apartment. Good for a quick bite.”

Their meal turned out to be anything but a quick bite. It seemed like the two of them were basically incapable of doing anything in a reasonable amount of time. Tooru was quite right about the speed of the service and they got their orders in less than ten minutes. The problem was that they couldn’t stop talking. Their broth was cold and their noodles were soggy by the time they finally finished, right in the middle of a heated debate about the proper way to consume caffeine.

The dispute followed them out of the restaurant when the manager was basically shoving them out the door well after close.

“I’m telling you Tetsu-chan that no living creature should lawfully consume any coffee with less than a tablespoon of creamer in it,” Tooru maintained stubbornly as they made their way towards Tooru’s apartment.

“And I’m telling you, Noodle-kawa, that anything with _more_ than a tablespoon of creamer in it is fucking dessert and should not be legal before noon,” Kuroo contended in equal resolution.

“I swear, this is why you’re such a bitter, disagreeable person,” Tooru declared rigidly.

“Right, and your iced sugar lattes make you the sweetest person on the planet,” Kuroo quipped, pulling the shivering Tooru into his side anyway as the night grew colder around them. “And at least I’m smart enough to know that you need more than a damn cardigan in the middle of winter.”

“You’re literally in a sweater! How is that any better than a cardigan?” Tooru said sharply. Their scorn was undercut considerably when they nuzzled into his shoulder.

“Because I don’t get cold as easily as you do, dear god,” Kuroo said. “Am I going to have to bring an extra coat with me every time we go out?”

“Only if it’s one of yours~” Tooru said impishly.

“Oh is _that_ why you’re being an idiot? So you can steal my clothes?”

“Excuse me for trying to be cute and romantic.”

Kuroo snorted and shook his head at them, but he leaned over to kiss their cheek anyway.

“You’re fucking impossible.”

Tooru crinkled their nose in response. Kuroo stuck his tongue out at them and stopped as they arrived at the steps to Tooru’s apartment.

Tooru flicked his shoulder playfully and Kuroo faked an “ouch” of pain. He shook them off his arm and nudged them towards their apartment with his tongue still poking out at them.

Tooru ascended the steps to their apartment, trying to out-glare him even as they were fighting back sputtering laughs of amusement. Kuroo broke first (again), unable to contain his own amusement as he barked out a laugh and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Then, Tooru was at the door, and Kuroo was at the bottom of the steps, and his heart suddenly thumped hard in his chest. They blinked at him, looking almost expectant, and Kuroo’s brain whirred with excitement. He waited for them to say something, not wanting to be pushy but definitely reading a lewd twist in the corners of their mouth.

“Would you like to come inside?” Tooru offered. They were perfectly poised but Kuroo was thrilled to see a very subtle rosiness in their cheeks.

“Yes. Fuck yes,” he said, hopefully much more gracefully than he was feeling.

His imagination went haywire as he ascended the steps to where Tooru stood with a provocative arch to their brow. He’d pictured it before but now that it was tangible those images were much more vivid: Tooru’s tongue in his mouth, Tooru pushing him into a wall, Kuroo’s hands on Tooru’s bare sides, Tooru grinding much more mercilessly against him as they fell into Tooru’s bed…

A loud series of buzzing nearly startled Kuroo over the side of the railing. He would have ignored it, but it was late and he couldn’t help but worry that it was urgent. People never called him at this time of night.

He pulled out his phone in time to see an incoming call from Keiji. Kuroo sighed out a “sorry, just a sec” to an impatient Tooru and flipped open his phone.

“Hey what's up? You okay?”

“I'm fine,” Keiji said unconvincingly over the cacophony of blaring train horns in the background. “But my dumbass boyfriend is apparently drunk off his ass and I really need someone to make sure he doesn't vomit on something vomit has no business being. I would do it but I’m just now coming home from work and it’ll be at least an hour.”

Kuroo’s heart sank down into his stomach. He glanced up at Tooru who was still wearing a seductively hopeful expression.

“Is there anyone else who can do it?” Kuroo asked under the crushing weight of disappointment. “I’m sorry I’m just out with Tooru.”

“I know you are, and trust me if there was anyone else I could trust I would ask them,” Keiji replied and they sounded genuinely apologetic.

Kuroo sighed, rubbing his temples and trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. However desperately he wanted to just tell Keiji to find someone else and go inside with his boyfriend, he couldn’t abandon Bokuto.

Bro-downs before throw-downs or something stupid like that.

“Yeah. I got you, Keiji. Is he home?”

“He is. Somehow.”

“Okay,” Kuroo said flatly. “Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Thank you Tetsurou,” they said. There was a short pause, and then they added, “I really am sorry for interrupting your evening.”

“It’s okay Keiji, it’s not your fault. I’ll probably kill your boyfriend, though.”

“Just don’t get blood on my carpet.”

Kuroo snorted humorlessly as he hung up the phone and turned back to Tooru. They were still smirking but they couldn’t hide the flutter of disappointment in their lips.

“Something happen?”

“Yeah, Bokuto’s shitfaced and I have to go babysit him to make sure he doesn’t die or something,” Kuroo said lowly, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

“Ah. I see.”

Tooru pursed their lips and went rigid with their knuckles white on the doorknob. Kuroo’s stomach churned irately at that dulled gleam in their eyes. He was definitely going to murder Bokuto for this.

Kuroo grimaced. “I’m really sorry. Trust me, if I could get out of it–”

“No, it’s fine,” Tooru interrupted. Their voice was still tight but they looked more annoyed at the situation than with him. They leaned down to where Kuroo stood a few steps below them, capturing his lips in a brief but understanding kiss.

“I get it,” they said, pulling away with a small smile. “Go take care of your friend.”

“Okay,” Kuroo said, descending the steps with a rock settled firmly in his stomach. “I’ll text you when I get home, okay?”

“I hope you do.”

Kuroo tried to smile as he waved goodbye and made his way toward Bokuto’s apartment. When he turned back around, he let the scowl he’d been holding back pull his lips downward. It really wasn’t a big deal, of course–Bokuto was far more important than sex. But that didn’t mean Kuroo wasn’t momentarily miffed.

Bokuto had better be piss-ass drunk or Kuroo was going to smother him with a pillow.

 

[22:32] **CatDad:** Hey are you up? I just got home

 _[22:33]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Of course I am Tetsu-chan, not everyone goes to bed as early as you_

[22:33] **CatDad:** Lol okay okay I was just checking

[22:35] **CatDad:** I'm really sorry I had to run. Bokuto is just a sloppy drunk and last time he came home like that alone he broke their table

 _[22:36]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _It's fine I guessssss_

 _[22:37]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Nah I'm kidding I'm glad you were there to help. I'm only a little mad ;)_

 _[22:37]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Is Bokuto-san okay at least???_

[22:39] **CatDad:** Yeah he's hovering just above death in his sleep rn haha

[22:40] **CatDad:** Probably won't even wake up until noon :P I'm spending the night at his place just in case though

 _[22:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You're such a good friend Tetsu-chan~~_

 _[22:41]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I really wish you were at my place tho_

[22:42] **CatDad:** Yeah?

 _[22:42]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Oh yes~_

 _[22:43]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I've never gone this long without banging someone I'm attracted to so I am VERY frustrated_

 _[22:44]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _If you're into me of course~_

[22:45] **CatDad:** Fuck YES I'm into you, you silly noodle

[22:46] **CatDad:** Ngl I really needed those little make out sessions to end in an orgasm I am VERY uncomfortable rn

 _[22:46]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Woops~ :P_

 _[22:47]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I wish I were sorry but I’m currently sporting a /super/ annoying hard-on right now so_

[22:48] **CatDad:** Serves you right XP

 _[22:48]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Rude XP_

 _[22:51]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _This is a little odd for me though_

[22:51] **CatDad:** Getting turned on?

 _[22:52]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _No Tetsu-chan, I meant the fact that we haven’t had sex yet_

[22:53] **CatDad:** Yeah? That’s weird for you?

 _[22:54]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I’m a “take you into the club bathroom” kind of person so yes, this is an eternity for me_

[22:55] **CatDad:** You are the most impatient person alive XD

[22:56] **CatDad:** You saying you would have boned me if I would have come in tonight?

 _[22:56]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I mean? Yes? Isn’t that what “come inside” implies???_

[22:56] **CatDad:** It does but I’m just checking lol

[22:57] **CatDad:** You’re so fucking extra

 _[22:57]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yep! :D_

 _[22:58]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Out of curiosity, if your friend hadn’t called you, would you have come in?_

[22:59] **CatDad:** Yes. 100% for sure yes I literally agreed when you asked

[22:59] **CatDad:** I already said I was hoping to get laid

 _[23:00]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _And /I’m/ the one who’s being impatient????_

[23:01] **CatDad:** I never said I wasn’t impatient too Noodle :)

 _[23:01]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Does that mean I’ll get to bag you soon??? :D_

[23:02] **CatDad:** Good lord XD

[23:02] **CatDad:** Yeah I hope so anyway

 _[23:02]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Yay!!!!_

 _[23:02]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _ <3 <3 <3 _

[23:03] **CatDad:** :) :)

 _[23:07]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Hey Tetsu-chan? Can I ask you something?_

[23:07] **CatDad:** Go ahead

 _[23:08]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Are we moving too fast?_

 _[23:10]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I’ve never really dated seriously but I feel like I’m going about a million miles an hour right now_

[23:11] **CatDad:** Hmmmm

[23:13] **CatDad:** I don’t think so

[23:14] **CatDad:** Not as long as we’re both comfortable and we aren’t engaging in any unsafe behaviors I don’t think so

[23:15] **CatDad:** Tooru, I really, /really/ like you. I don’t need a ton of time to tell me all the things I want to do with you

[23:15] **CatDad:** To you

 _[23:16]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Tetsu-chaannnn~~_

 _[23:16]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _You’re such a softie :) And dirty~_

[23:17] **CatDad:** I’m going to stop talking to you

 _[23:18]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Nooooo!!!! I mean that in a good way_

 _[23:18]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _If you don’t think we’re going too fast then I don’t either :)_

[23:19] **CatDad:** Good :)

[23:24] **CatDad:** Ugh Bokuto is throwing up I gotta go make sure he doesn’t fucking drown or anything

 _[23:25]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _That’s disgusting XP_

 _[23:26]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _I should get to bed anyway. See you Monday? Between classes?_

[23:27] **CatDad:** Yep :) Night Noodle

 _[23:28]_ **_The Noodle:_ ** _Merry Christmas Tetsurou :)_

[23:30] **CatDad:** Merry Christmas Tooru  <3

 

 _[23:42]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Are you coming home tonight?_

[23:43] **CatDad:** Fuck nope I’m not

[23:44] **CatDad:** Sorry KP I forgot to let you know. I’m stuck watching drunk-ass Bokuto to make sure he doesn’t die

 _[23:44]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Ew_

 _[23:45]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _That’s fine._

[23:46] **CatDad:** Yeah sorry about that :P

 _[23:46]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _You’re fine._

 _[23:48]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Did your date go well?_

[23:49] **CatDad:** It was wonderful thanks for asking :) :)

 _[23:49]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Good._

 _[23:55]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I like them Tetsurou. I think they’re good for you._

[23:56] **CatDad:** Thanks Kittenpie, that means a lot to me :)

 _[23:57]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _How do you feel about them? I haven’t seen you like this with someone since Saeko_

[23:57] **CatDad:** They’re amazing. I really, really like them KP

 _[23:58]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Do you think you love them?_

[23:59] **CatDad:** Ehhhh not sure about that yet haha it’s only been a few weeks

 _[23:59]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _That doesn’t matter_

 _[00:00]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I knew I loved Shouyou before we even started dating_

[00:03] **CatDad:** Yes but you knew them for years Kenma, I really just met them

 _[00:04]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Even so. I’m not so sure_

[00:10] **CatDad:** What do you mean Kittenpie?

 _[00:11]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I think you two have known each other for a long time_

[00:11] **CatDad:** Yeah? Kinda like you and me?

 _[00:12]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Yes_

 _[00:12]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I hope you aren’t holding back because you’re afraid you’re moving too quickly Tetsurou_

[00:13] **CatDad:** I’m not I’m not, it really hasn’t been long enough for me to say yet Kenma. I need a little more time haha

 _[00:14]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Okay. You do what feels comfortable_

 _[00:14]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _As long as you plan on continuing your relationship_

[00:15] **CatDad:** Of course :)

[00:16] **CatDad:** You’re unusually invested in this Kenma. Is everything okay?

 _[00:16]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Yes_

 _[00:16]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Tooru has a really unique energy that I think combines very well with yours_

 _[00:17]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Better than Saeko_

[00:18] **CatDad:** You don’t have to keep comparing this to my thing with Saeko, Kenma

 _[00:19]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I know, I’m just saying_

 _[00:19]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I’d make sure to hold onto them this time_

[00:20] **CatDad:** This time…?

 _[00:21]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Yes, don’t let them slip away by holding back your feelings_

[00:21] **CatDad:** Alright KP I’ll do my best :)

 _[00:22]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Thank you_

 _[00:23]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _I’m going to bed now. Goodnight. Merry Christmas_

[00:24] **CatDad:** Merry Christmas KP :)

 

**Fri 31/12/16**

_[14:05]_ **_XXX-XXXX-XXXX:_ ** _Hey it’s Iwaizumi Hajime, Tooru’s friend_

 _[14:05]_ **_XXX-XXXX-XXXX:_ ** _This might be a super awkward way for us to introduce ourselves but… Are you busy right now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually hate the trope of bad things happening to people after they come out because it can be pretty harmful but for some reason this just seemed… Right? I dunno. It's valid for coming out to not always be a happy sunshine experience and I thought it was a good way to show that Tooru is such a strong, driven person who works hard and finds solutions.
> 
> Anyway feedback would be appreciated :)
> 
> And just to clarify, the “mouth and or throat” comment is meant to imply that Tooru has and would absolutely give head to both cis and trans men.
> 
> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	9. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [14:15] **CatDad:** Oh god, are you sure everything’s okay???
> 
> _[14:16] **Iwaizumi:** It’s not serious._
> 
> _[14:16] **Iwaizumi:** Well, it’s a little serious_
> 
> _[14:16] **Iwaizumi:** Tooru isn’t physically hurt or anything_
> 
> [14:17] **CatDad:** I’m trying real hard not to freak out rn
> 
> _[14:18] **Iwaizumi:** It’s their cat._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Lost might not technically be a sci-fi show but it's close enough, right?
> 
> Also sorry it's split kinda weird. Chapters 9 and 10 happen in the same day but it actually flowed better split in half. It was weird and rushed and clocking in at like 12k so… Hopefully this is okay??

**Fri 31/12/16 [CatDad]**

_ [14:05] _ **_XXX-XXXX-XXXX:_ ** _ Hey it’s Iwaizumi Hajime, Tooru’s friend _

_ [14:05] _ **_XXX-XXXX-XXXX:_ ** _ This might be a super awkward way for us to introduce ourselves but… Are you busy right now? _

[14:07]  **CatDad:** Hey! Not really, what’s up???

_ [14:08]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Do you think you’d be able to come over? _

_ [14:08]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ To Tooru’s apartment _

[14:09]  **CatDad:** Yeah, sure

[14:11]  **CatDad:** Sorry not to be rude but is everything okay?

_ [14:12]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Not rude. And… kind of _

_ [14:12]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ It’s nothing incredibly serious but Tooru is beside themselves _

[14:13]  **CatDad:** Okay. I’ll be there soon.

[14:15]  **CatDad:** Sorry if this is rude (again) but why haven’t they texted me?

_ [14:15]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ They’re… crying. They can’t really text _

[14:15]  **CatDad:** Oh god, are you sure everything’s okay???

_ [14:16]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ It’s not serious. _

_ [14:16]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Well, it’s a little serious _

_ [14:16]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Tooru isn’t physically hurt or anything _

[14:17]  **CatDad:** I’m trying real hard not to freak out rn

_ [14:18]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ It’s their cat. _

[14:18]  **CatDad:** Did something happen to her???

_ [14:18]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Not sure. _

_ [14:19]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ We can’t find her _

[14:19]  **CatDad:** Fuck.

[14:20]  **CatDad:** I’ll be there as soon as I possibly can

_ [14:20]  _ **_Iwaizumi:_ ** _ Thank you _

 

Kuroo hurried to Tooru’s apartment just about as fast as his legs would carry him. Which wasn’t very fast. Especially since he was already winded by taking the stairs two at a time down from his apartment.

To save some time, he unhooked Shouyou’s tiny bike in a moment of panic and barrelled down the road. He was wheezing and tired by the time he got to Tooru’s place but he barely noticed how hard his legs were shaking. He was just thinking about how worried and upset he’d be if something happened to Okami. How he’d want Tooru there so, so badly.

He bolted up the steps to Tooru’s stoop and knocked on the door, sputtering a little and reminding himself to go to the gym a lot more often.

When the door opened, he was greeted by a face he recognized only from Tooru’s Snaps and Facebook pictures. Tall, lanky, covered in piercings and tattoos, Hanamaki leered at him as he tried to compose himself. He didn’t seem threatening really. More like that smirk was just another feature of his face, like his strawberry-brunette hair and his slightly upturned nose.

“You must be Kuroo,” he drawled, flinging the door wide. “Come on in. Tooru’s in their room. I’m just about to head out with Mattsun to start searching again.”

“Thanks,” Kuroo said.

He lept up the stairs and into Tooru’s apartment and realized that this was the first time he’d seen the interior. It looked like the place had been put through a blender, probably from searching frantically for the cat.

The aged leather sofa had been pushed into the middle of the room, the low square table tilted up on its side and pressed against the wall. The TV stand was pulled away from the wall as well to expose all of the baseboards and corners and other places where cats liked to hide. There was an empty bookshelf, its contents strewn all over the floor: books, papers, diagrams, and about half an office supply store. Even the kitchen had been wrecked—the cupboards open with all the pots and pans either on the floor or the counters.

“How are they?” Kuroo asked, sidestepping a pile of what looked like plant diagrams and sketches.

“Atrocious,” Makki said with a wry shrug. “Can’t really blame ‘em though. Just don’t think I’ve ever seen them cry this much.”

Kuroo’s chest seized up as Makki knocked on what he assumed to be Tooru’s bedroom door. He’d never seen Tooru cry before. He was a little afraid that seeing Tooru cry would make him cry too, but he absolutely could not do that. He needed to be Tooru’s rock until they found Momo.

_ When _ they found Momo. Because they were going to find her. They had to.

“Come in,” a gruff voice rumbled against the door. Makki creaked it open and the two stepped carefully inside.

Tooru’s room looked exactly like Kuroo had expected. There were NASA and JAXA posters pinned up on the walls, along with star charts and some scientific diagrams of various plants. There was a small desk stacked high with papers and textbooks opposite a twin bed made with navy blue sheets that had the stereotypical green alien face printed all over them. The single window had a huge sill for such a small apartment, and it was entirely taken up by what Kuroo assumed was Tooru’s beautiful rainbow succulent collection.

A burly man with spiky black hair sat cross-legged on the bed with Tooru’s head in his lap. That must have been Iwaizumi. He was silently stroking through Tooru’s hair as Tooru cried into their hands.

God, Tooru… They were sobbing so hard their shoulders shook, curled up into a fetal position so tight it looked painful. Choked, gasping cries filtered through their fingers, like they were being wrenched from their chest.

Iwaizumi looked up at Kuroo as he knelt beside the bed. His brows and lips were both drawn together in furrowed, thin lines, his jaw sternly set and clenching. His eyes, dark and stoic as they were, had a certain softness to them as he looked at Kuroo. He didn't say anything. Kuroo didn't need him to.

He heard the door close behind him as Makki left.

Kuroo reached out and placed his hand flat on the bed beside Tooru's face. An offering, in case they either did or didn't want to be touched.

“Tooru baby,” Kuroo said gingerly. “I'm here. I got you.”

Tooru didn't acknowledge Kuroo for a moment. They let out a few more choked sobs, breathing hard like they were trying to calm themselves down. They wiped the tears from their eyes with their fists before looking up at Kuroo with heartbreakingly liquid eyes. Their face as red and splotchy and there was a trail of snot dripping down their nose.

“Th—thanks,” Tooru sniffled. They wiggled a little closer to Kuroo, Iwaizumi shuffling diligently with them, until Tooru and Kuroo’s noses were centimeters apart. “Thanks for—coming.”

“Of course baby,” Kuroo said softly, reaching up to brush their cheek. “Do you want to tell me what happened? Momo got out?”

Tooru nodded. Their nose wrinkled up and they pulled their lower lip into their mouth. They swallowed a few times, inhaling deep through their nose as another few tears trickled down their cheeks. Kuroo wiped them away with his thumb, and Tooru leaned into the touch with another shuddering inhale.

“It’s—it’s my—it’s really my fault,” Tooru stuttered between hiccups. “I op—ened the door to—I was checking the weather to see what—what to wear… She must have—have gotten out but I… it’s my fault, I did—n’t see her go...”

“Not your fault,” Iwaizumi said in a low, resolute rumble. “She’s never tried to run away before. You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have—been more careful,” Tooru said miserably.

“Tooru, you can be an absolute airhead sometimes, but the one place where you’re always careful is with that cat,” Iwaizumi said sternly. “It isn’t your fault.”

Kuroo nodded in agreement, but Tooru didn’t look reassured. They looked at Kuroo hopelessly, reaching out to grab a hold of his shirt like they needed an anchor or they’d float away.

“What if she doesn't come back Tetsu?” they said in a soft, desperate, quavering voice. “I don't… don't know what… What will… I don't know what I'll do without my Momo.”

Kuroo's heart shattered like a sheet of cold glass. He tried to smile, tried to look encouraging, but there was an icy pain in his chest as he looked into Tooru’s eyes.

“We'll find her Tooru,” Kuroo said firmly. “She loves you. Cats always come back, even when they get out.”

“But what if she doesn’t?” Tooru wailed. “What if she gets lost or hurt or… oh  _ god. _ ”

Tooru choked on the last syllable and dissolved into tears again. They batted Iwaizumi’s hand away from their hair and somehow curled into an even tighter ball.

Kuroo reached up to rub soothing circles on their back, resting his chin on the bed in front of them. The motion helped calm them down a little, until their sobs subsided into little hiccuping sniffles. Iwaizumi and Kuroo sat in silence while Tooru wound themselves down: Iwaizumi letting Tooru wipe their eyes on his jeans, Kuroo moving his fingers gently over their T-shirt and hoping he would help.

“She isn’t going to get hurt. Nothing will happen to her,” Kuroo said in an attempt to say anything helpful. “Cats much dumber and smaller than her have done just fine. She’ll be okay.”

Tooru nodded through the tears still trickling from their long lashes onto the sheets, staining them. “I just want her home.”

“We won’t stop looking until she is,” Kuroo assured them, wiping some of the wetness away with his thumb.

It wasn’t enough and Kuroo knew it. It wouldn’t be enough until Momo was safely in Tooru’s care again, until they could run their fingers through her fur and kiss her head. For now, though, it was enough to earn him another solemn nod as Tooru pushed themselves upright with a few rapid, calming breaths.

Kuroo felt the walls of his heart tighten and something sickly sticky rise up and coat his throat as he looked at his boyfriend. Tooru’s looked a mess—spotty red face, fluids of all sorts mixing on their cheeks and chin, hair sticking up in about a million different directions. All Kuroo wanted was to kiss a smile back onto their face.

“I’m—sorry,” Tooru eventually said between hiccups. “She—so important to—me and I—it’s probab—ly really dumb to—to get this upset.”

“Not dumb at all,” Kuroo assured immediately. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost Okami.”

Tooru nodded again. They took a deep breath, drumming their hands on their thighs like they were hyping themselves up for something. They closed their eyes and rubbed their cheeks a few times, then let out a shaky exhale.

“I’ve just… had her for so long, you know?” Tooru said in a slightly more even tone. “I got her as a kitten when I moved out so she… and then I came out…”

Tooru sniffed and shook their head, the end of their sentence trailing off into nothing. Kuroo patted Tooru’s thigh and tried to relax his features into something soft and reassuring.

“I understand,” Kuroo said. “You don’t have to explain.”

Tooru looked right into Kuroo’s eyes. There was a rawness there that he hadn’t seen since that conversation they’d had at the park. It was like Tooru’s flayed heartstrings were being laid bare right there in their pupils—pulsing and painful and pleading.

What could Kuroo say to reassure them? No amount of “it’ll be okay” and “we’ll find her” would bring Tooru any comfort at that point.

Some people got pets as companions, some got them for theraputic reasons, some just to have something cute and fluffy to play with and snuggle. And some people, like Tooru and Kenma, got a pet because pets weren’t people.

Momo had probably curled right up in Tooru’s lap the first time they’d put on makeup. Her meow hadn’t changed when Tooru started shopping in the women’s section. She still demanded their attention if Tooru’s voice lilted slightly higher than usual into a more feminine register. It didn’t make a difference to her whether Tooru brought home a man or a woman or neither as long as they also brought home food.

A cat like Momo would still curl up in your lap after a tearful fight with your parents over clothes and names and titles. Okami definitely did.

There weren’t words of comfort for a connection like that.

Kuroo was saved from having to say something by the loud buzz of Tooru’s phone. They dove across the bed for it, almost hitting Iwaizumi right in the face. For a few moments they struggled with the password, cursing under their breath when they couldn’t get the pattern right, before sliding it open.

 

_ [15:02]  _ **_Devil 1:_ ** _ We can’t find her Tooru :/ _

_ [15:02]  _ **_Devil 1:_ ** _ We don’t think she’s anywhere around the apartment _

[15:03]  **TooruBelieves:** Ok

[15:03]  **TooruBelieves:** Thx for looking

_ [15:04]  _ **_Devil 1:_ ** _ We’re gonna find her, okay? _

[15:05]  **TooruBelieves:** Ok

_ [15:05]  _ **_Devil 1:_ ** _ Let’s go to lunch _

[15:05]  **TooruBelieves:** Not hungry

_ [15:05]  _ **_Devil 1:_ ** _ I don’t care. We’ll meet you at that teriyaki place down the street _

 

“Who is it?” Iwaizumi asked after several long seconds of silence.

Tooru looked up from their phone. Iwaizumi and Kuroo were both staring expectantly at them. Tooru didn’t know what to say. All of the tears in their body were gone and they were left feeling deadened and empty. It was embarrassing, being this upset over a cat. But Momo wasn’t an ordinary cat. Not to Tooru.

She was…

No. They couldn’t think about it. They didn’t want to start crying again.

“It was Mattsun,” Tooru said dryly. “They didn’t find her.”

Kuroo sighed audibly. Iwaizumi just nodded. The air was strung tight between the three of them.

Tooru tensed up as they looked at their best friend and their boyfriend. They both looked so concerned, so worried about them. Like Tooru was some kind of fragile, wounded little bird they needed to scoop up and make well so they could fly again.

“Tooru I’m—”

“It’s fine,” Tooru cut Kuroo off with a flick of their wrist. They weren’t going to cry again. “Mattsun and Makki want to meet us for lunch. Do you mind giving me a moment to get ready?”

Kuroo and Iwaizumi looked at each other. Tooru’s blood spiked with irritation. They weren’t a child. They were a grown-ass adult and they could handle their own grief over a cat, for godsakes.

“I’ll be fine, Iwa-chan and Tetsu-chan,” Tooru said, bumping their voice up a register with a little teasing wink. “It isn’t like waiting around here is going to help anyone. Give me five minutes to make myself beautiful.”

Neither of them looked even remotely convinced. Tooru bristled, but kept their composure. They smiled sickeningly sweet at the two boys as they got up resignedly to leave. Kuroo leaned down to kiss them on the forehead and Tooru hummed quietly to conceal their irritation.

“It’s okay to cry about this. I’d be an absolute mess if I lost Okami,” Kuroo said quietly.

“Thanks, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru said through their teeth. “But I don’t need your permission to be upset.”

Kuroo blinked. He looked like Tooru had just slapped him across the face. His mouth drew into a tight line and he straightened up stiffly. The smile he gave Tooru as he walked out was so forced it looked plastic.

The minute the door clicked shut behind him Tooru flung themselves backward onto their bed. They dug the heels of their hands into their eyes and took a few steadying breaths, trying to compose themselves. Iwaizumi and Kuroo were only trying to help, after all. There was no reason for them to get so angry.

They just  _ hated _ the look of pity in someone’s eyes when something bad happened. Like Tooru needed pity. Tooru didn’t need anyone’s pity. Tooru did just fine on their own. They could deal with their grief however they damn well pleased.

Tooru exhaled heavily and looked sideways at the wall-length mirror fastened to their door. Jesus they looked awful. Their face looked like a pangea of pink, there was snot and tears dried all over their upper lip and their chin, and their eyes were bloodshot and swollen. They were an absolute disaster, hair mussed and clothes wrinkled and looking like someone had double-punched them in the face.

Okay, so maybe Iwaizumi and Kuroo had a reason to be worried.

_ They just care about you _ , Tooru reminded themselves as they got up from their bed and started to get themselves ready.  _ They don’t feel sorry for you. They just want to help. You have to let them help sometimes. _

It took about fifteen minutes for Tooru to tidy themselves up enough to be presentable. They redid their hair, pressed some cold wash cloths to their face, and changed into different clothes. Their eyes were still dry and itchy from crying so they changed out of their contacts and into their square-framed glasses.

It wasn’t an ideal look, but it was enough.

When they came out of their room, they found Kuroo and Iwaizumi chatting easily on their livingroom sofa. Which was an odd sight considering Iwaizumi never chatted easily with anyone.

Tooru cocked their head to the side as they sauntered their way out of their bedroom, leaning up against the wall to listen pleasantly to their conversation.

“—definitely looking forward to o-chem,” Kuroo was saying with that nerdy glimmer of enthusiasm he got when he talked about science. “I know it’s supposed to be a beast but it’s so different than regular chem it’ll be so cool.”

Of course they were bonding over school.

“It’s certainly a challenge,” Iwaizumi agreed. “Makki is very gifted when it comes to organic chemistry, you know. I’m sure he’d be happy to help out.”

“Makki kept Iwa-chan from losing his mind when he was taking that class,” Tooru cut in teasingly. They crossed the room with a smirk and kissed Kuroo on the cheek. “Are we ready to go, boys?”

“Ready if you are,” Kuroo agreed with a much more genuine smile than before, and Iwaizumi grunted in agreement. Thank god, neither of them said anything about Tooru’s little crying session from before. Hopefully that would be left far behind them

“Also, why have I never seen you in glasses before?” Kuroo asked as they set out for the teriyaki place together. “You’re so fucking cute.”

“They make my face look weird,” Tooru said, wrinkling their nose.

“False,” Kuroo said sternly. “They are beyond adorable and I highly recommend you continue to wear them.”

Tooru snorted and rolled their eyes as they locked their door. There was a pang of disappointment when they didn’t see Momo within the immediate vicinity of their apartment, but they tried to ignore it. No use in getting all worked up again when there wasn’t anything they could do about it.

At least it wasn’t too cold outside. With how thick her fur was, Tooru wouldn’t have to worry of her freezing to death.

The streets were busy as hell, since it was New Year’s Eve after all. Tooru tried not to think about Momo weaving in and out of the crowd, having her tail stepped on, being underfoot with such a dizzying amount of people. It would be so easy for her to get hurt with all these people. What if someone stole her?

They couldn’t think about it anymore if they didn’t want to turn into a blubbering mess on the sidewalk.

Mattsun and Makki were waiting in line at the restaurant by the time the three of them arrived. Neither of them mentioned Momo either, so Tooru was able to push her to the back of his thoughts. It wasn’t entirely effective—he still felt a sour slime of worry coating his throat—but it wasn’t maddening. Much more important at the moment was watching how their boyfriend interacted with Iwaizumi and his two devils.

“So you must be Tetsu-chan,” Mattsun said, throwing an arm around Kuroo’s shoulders.

“Tooru-kun has told us a lot about you,” Makki said, draping himself over Kuroo’s other side. “We've been absolutely dying to meet you.”

Kuroo looked intrigued but not at all put off to have two rather tall boys hanging off of him like a coat rack in public. He grinned at them both. In profile, their three smirking faces reminded Tooru of the three-headed hellbeast Cerberus.

“And I'm assuming you're Mattsun and Makki?” Kuroo replied pleasantly. “Unless you're just two randos, in which case I'd appreciate it if you’d at least buy me dinner before a public group groping.”

Tooru hid a snicker behind their hand as Mattsun and Makki both howled with laughter. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and mumbled “dear god” under his breath.

“I wouldn't say no to that,” Makki laughed. He craned his neck to grin slyly at Tooru. “Would you like to join?”

“No way, I know how you are in bed and you don’t kiss nice,” Tooru said, folding their arms across their chest with a matching grin.

Makki just shrugged. “More for us, I guess.”

Iwaizumi and Tooru got into queue behind them and watched the three mayhem makers bond. Iwaizumi’s lips pulled down a little like they always did, but his eyes were crinkled fondly at his boyfriends. Tooru knew they looked the same.

“So Tetsu, we heard from a little bird that you’re thinking about getting another piercing,” Mattsun said, stepping forward in line with his arm still firmly wrapped around Kuroo’s neck. “May I recommend the midline?”

Mattsun stuck his tongue out to showcase the stud he’d sported since high school. Kuroo leaned in, looking intrigued as Mattsun rolled it around in his mouth.

“I’ve been thinking about a tongue piercing,” Kuroo mused. “Either that or a nose ring.”

“I think Tooru-kun would probably appreciate a tongue stud,” Mattsun winked. “I had Iwa-chan melting into our sofa the other day. Had him begging for—”

“Nope, not doing that,” Iwaizumi cut in, smacking both of his boyfriends on the back of the head.

Tooru snorted at them. Mattsun and Makki rubbed gingerly at their heads but continued advising Kuroo sagely on the merits of different jewelry. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes but he wasn’t bothering to hide the affection in his half-smile. They were all absolutely ridiculous.

“Tetsu-chan has a fairly prominent nose already,” Makki observed, tapping one of Kuroo’s nostrils. “Do you think a ring would make it stand out more? Wouldn’t want you to look like Pinocchio.”

“Excuse you, I happen to  _ like _ Tetsu’s nose,” Tooru cut in crossly.

Kuroo rubbed where Makki had touched with an index finger, concentrating hard. He turned to Tooru and asked, “Do I have a really big nose, babe?”

“I… yes,” Tooru admitted. Kuroo frowned and Tooru quickly added, “but I like it. I think you’d look absolutely wonderful with a nose ring.”

It was good that Kuroo was so into Tooru because that managed to perk him right back up, and he dove enthusiastically back into the conversation with Makki and Mattsun.

“It was probably a mistake to introduce those three,” Iwaizumi muttered into Tooru’s ear as he glared at the backs of their heads.

“I’d thought you’d be happy that they’re getting along so well, considering the fact that those two have scared off more of my romantic prospects than I can count,” Tooru said with a lighthearted smile.

Iwaizumi’s mouth drew downwards just a bit and his eyes narrowed in thought. The three had seemingly moved on from piercings to talking about some of the professors they shared across their majors. It was definitely the most innocent conversation Tooru had ever seen Mattsun and Makki have with anyone.

“Yeah, well, we’ll just have to make sure they don’t blow up one of our apartments or something,” Iwaizumi grumbled.

Tooru rolled their eyes at their grumpy little hedgehog of a best friend before looking away to peruse the menu. Not that they really needed to. They were the sort of person who found one menu on the item they loved and ordered it every single time after that.

While Tooru pretended to be reading the items, their pocket started vibrating angrily with their call pattern. They snatched it out with a muttered “be right back” as they stepped out of line to answer it. The number illuminating the screen wasn’t one they recognized. They sighed heavily, not looking forward to talking to whatever telemarketer was trying to sell them the best mattress on earth or whatever.

They tucked themselves out of the way by the window and swiped the call open.

“Hello, Oikawa Tooru speaking,” Tooru said, reverting reflexively to their horribly chipper customer service voice.

“Hi Oikawa-san,” a gruff baritone they didn’t recognize said. It didn’t have the same sing-songy professionalism that most telemarketers did.

“How can I help you?” Tooru asked when the voice didn’t immediately dive into its sales pitch.

“Well so—my name is Ukai Keishin and I think I have your cat.”

Tooru’s heart thudded right into their throat. Excited relief burst dizzyingly through them. They sank down on the windowsill and took some deep breaths to keep themselves from collapsing right on the floor.

“Really? You found her?” Tooru squeaked. They wanted to jump for joy, wanted to shout and scream and cry but instead they just vibrated excitedly in place.

“I think so,” the voice said. Tooru heard a quiet “prrrrbt” on the other end of the line. It definitely sounded like Momo’s meow. Could Tooru really recognize their meow over the phone? “She was wandering around my neighborhood and she pretty much invited herself into my house. The address on her collar wasn’t one in my neighborhood so I figured she was lost.”

If Tooru wasn’t lightheaded from relief they might have started to cry.

“Ukai-san thank you so much,” Tooru said shakily. “She got out this morning and I just—she’s never been outside before so…”

“Well she’s fine, if that helps,” Ukai said with an accompanying “mrrowww”. “She’s needy as hell but she is beautiful. I’m happy to keep her until you can come get her.”

“Yeah she needs massive amounts of attention. I’m—thank you so much. I literally can’t thank you enough. If you want to text me your address I can be right there,” Tooru said.

“Sure, sure,” Ukai said. “But, uh, a word of advice. Maybe be more careful with her in the future. I don’t think she’d last long on the streets.”

“Yeah, I definitely will,” Tooru said sheepishly. “Thank you again.”

“Mmhmm. See you soon.”

Ukai hung up and a moment later Tooru’s screen lit up with a text from the same number with the address. Tooru couldn’t help but laugh as they walked back over to their group on knees that felt like they might give out at any moment. Mattsun and Makki had released Kuroo in favor of holding hands with each other and Iwaizumi. They were all talking amiably, Kuroo even joining in to gently tease Iwaizumi about his hair.

“I hate to agree with Makki but it kind of does look like a tumbleweed,” he said innocently. “If you grew it out a bit it might help.”

“I probably won’t take the advice of someone with fan-hair,” Iwaizumi said with an arched brow.

“What a blow to my ego,” Kuroo said, clutching his heart and steadying himself on Mattsun’s shoulder. “I pride myself on being the pinnacle of Tokyo’s latest trends.”

“Hey, what’s up Shittykawa?” Mattsun cut in through their banter as Tooru walked up to them. “Everything okay?”

Tooru nodded with a smile. “Someone found Momo.”

All four of their faces lit up blindingly bright. Even Iwaizumi’s eyes went wide and his mouth settled into a soft smile Tooru couldn’t remember seeing in quite some time.

Kuroo reached out to grab Tooru’s hand, beaming brighter than any of them, brighter than Tooru had ever seen. “Baby that’s amazing. Should we go get her?”

“Yeah, I told the guy I’d run by right now,” Tooru said.

“Do you want us to come with you?” Makki offered, but Tooru shook their head.

“No, it’s okay, enjoy your lunch. I’ll grab something at home.”

“I’ll come with you babe,” Kuroo urged. The vigor in his eyes told Tooru it was pointless to argue with him so they just squeezed his hand.

“Okay,” they agreed, pulling Kuroo away from the others. “Come on, I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

They waved goodbye to Mattsun, Makki, and Iwaizumi and headed out towards the address Ukai had texted them.

It ended up being only a few minutes away from the restaurant, in an older two-story apartment complex near a subway station. Tooru was so excited they didn’t even talk as they rushed down the street with Kuroo in tow. They bounded up the stairs to Ukai’s apartment so fast they were breathless by the time they reached the top.

Tooru and Kuroo panted down the walkway and around the corner to find someone sitting with his knees tucked up outside the door in question. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips, blond hair pulled back loosely by a hairband to reveal handsomely chiseled features. There was a white-and-peach longhaired cat winding her away around his legs.

The man looked up as the two approached. His mouth curled around the cigarette and he gave a friendly wave.

“You must be Oikawa,” he said pleasantly. “I take it this is your cat?”

“Yep,” Tooru chirped, far too elated to be embarrassed about Momo’s misbehavior. “Thank you so, so much for catching her, Ukai-san.”

“Ah, it was no trouble,” Ukai said with a wave of his hand. “She’s by far the most affectionate cat I’ve ever met.”

Momo wound once more around Ukai’s legs before pausing and looking up with her big orange eyes at them. Tooru wasn’t sure whether to scold her or pick her up bury his face in her fur.

She blinked once at him with a head tilt and a questioning chirp, like she had no idea what she’d done wrong.

“Mrrrow.”

Yep, that was it.

Tooru dropped to their knees and Momo trotted right over to them. They pulled her into their chest the second they could get their hands on her, clutching her like she was a lifeline. She made a disgruntled noise and struggled against their grip but they hung onto her stubbornly.

Tooru had never been so relieved in their life. It was blinding relief, relief that made their fingers and toes go numb, that nearly made their eyes spill over again with tears. They wanted to plaster Momo to their body and never let her out of their sight ever again. They wanted to pick her up and swing her around and kiss her and love on her until she was a nice, purring blob of happiness.

They also wanted to skin her alive for terrifying the living hell out of them. No treats for a week. No catnip. Not even a little niblet.

…Okay, maybe one niblet. But nothing more.

“I swear to god you little shit, I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” they mumbled into Momo’s back. “I’m literally so angry at you right now.”

Momo eventually resigned herself to her fate and went limp in Tooru’s arms with a soft growl. They nuzzled her fur, giving her kisses she definitely didn’t appreciate but they didn’t care. Part of them had wondered if they’d ever see her again.

Momo was Tooru’s family. People said that a lot about their pets but most people didn’t have to get a cat to get positive affirmations about their existence as a person. Momo knew more of Tooru’s secrets—hopes and dreams, fears and doubts—than any of their relatives. She’d been there after Tooru’s first manicure, their first trip to the women’s section, their first tipsy, identity-affirming, meaningless bar hookup after moving out.

She didn’t have the complexity of human emotions that a person did but she still loved them, in her own way, and it was overjoying beyond words to know there was nothing Tooru could do or say to change that.

They scratched her ears and kissed all over her, which got her to chirp out that lovely soft purr of hers and Tooru felt their anger slowly melting away.

Still no treats, though.

“Thanks again for the help,” Kuroo said from behind Tooru with a reassuring squeeze to their shoulder.

“Of course,” Ukai said, getting to his feet with a quiet grunt of effort. “Make sure to keep a closer eye on her, though. Pretty sure if anything tried to hunt her she’d roll right over for ‘em.”

“We will,” Tooru assured him. They scooped a protesting Momo up in their arms as they stood and briefly wondered if she was actually going to let them carry her home.

They set back out towards Tooru’s apartment with a wave of farewell and gratitude at Ukai. He walked back into his apartment, shaking his head with a smirk.

It took to the bottom of the stairs for Momo to decide she was not having the whole holding thing anymore. She squirmed out of Tooru’s arms and crawled painfully up to perch herself on their shoulder. She wasn’t a small cat, so Tooru was sure their shoulder would hurt like hell after this, but if it got her to stay still they’d endure it.

“You’re a very bad kitty,” Tooru scolded. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

They wagged a disapproving finger at her but she just bumped her head against their hand for pets. Tooru scratched her behind the ears, still pouting, and Kuroo wound an arm around their waist.

“I’m glad we found her,” he said, pecking Tooru on the cheek.

“Yeah, well, meet my fucking asshole cat,” Tooru griped. It was hard to stay mad, though, with a kitten on their shoulder and their boyfriend holding them tight.

“She’s beautiful though,” Kuroo said.

“I guess.”

Kuroo chuckled and kissed Tooru on the cheek again. He let go of Tooru to take over for Momo’s insatiable need for scratches, making little cooing noises at her as she purred like a jackhammer. Tooru huffed and pouted but Kuroo wasn’t paying any attention at all.

“What an afternoon,” Tooru sighed. “You saw me cry for the first time, you met my friends, and my asshole cat not only ran away but has now stolen my boyfriend.”

Both hands were now in Momo’s fur, scratching her as he made little cooing noises and looked at her like she was the sunrise. The streets were still very busy and they were getting some weird looks from passersby. They were probably quite a trio: two queer lovers and their cat walking down the sidewalk like this was a perfectly normal thing to do.

“Awww, is Tooru jealous?” Kuroo said in the little baby voice people used to talk to animals.“Do you need some scratches, too?”

“If you touch my hair I will harm you,” Tooru warned, but Kuroo laughed.

“You know, I’m kinda glad this all happened, in a way,” Kuroo mused, leaving Momo alone to hold Tooru’s hand as they walked.

“Why on earth are you glad? This whole day has been a goddamn nightmare,” Tooru said sullenly.

“Yeah, but not only did I get to meet your beautiful cat—and there’s a good chance I’m going to steal her Tooru—but I got to see you cry,” Kuroo said.

Tooru raised an eyebrow at him. “You… liked seeing me cry?”

“I mean, I didn’t like the fact that you were crying obviously,” Kuroo said. He was quiet for a moment, chewing the words over, his mouth and eyes soft with affection. “I think you’re so closed-off sometimes, it was nice to see you feel human emotions.”

“Pffft okay, whatever you weirdo,” Tooru said dismissively, but they felt their stomach churn as Kuroo continued to look at them so softly and unironically. “Don’t expect it to happen often.”

“I don’t like seeing you in pain, obviously,” Kuroo continued like he hadn’t even heard them. “But it was nice to see you being vulnerable with me.”

He tightened his hold on Tooru’s hand. Tooru squeezed back. They couldn’t tease him for something like that. Besides, his kindness brought guilt from earlier bubbling to the surface.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you before,” Tooru said. “I just… don’t do well with people feeling sorry for me.”

“It’s fine, I understand,” Kuroo said easily. His face was completely relaxed. “I do. Just know that none of us were feeling sorry for you. Sympathy isn’t the same thing as pity. Even if it sometimes feels like it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Tooru smiled.

They finally made it back to Tooru’s apartment late in the afternoon. A horrible sense of déjà vu overtook Tooru when they ascended the steps but Kuroo stayed behind. Each stair clattered disappointment into their bones as they remembered the other night. How close the two of them had come to finally having an evening to themselves.

There was no reason for Kuroo not to come inside this time, though. Their heart was pounding as they turned and looked down expectantly at their boyfriend.

“Are you a vampire?” Tooru teased lightly once they reached the top.

“What?”

“Do you need to be invited inside or can you do it on your own?”

“Oh, I didn’t want to assume…” Kuroo said, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

“Kuroo, please get your ass inside my house,” Tooru said, creaking the door open.

Kuroo grinned. He didn’t need to be told twice. In a rather impressive feat of atheleticism, he vaulted himself up the stairs in one fluid swoop. Tooru laughed at the jittery excitement in his eyes, like a child being told they were allowed inside a candy shop.

His excitement dulled infinitessimally when he saw the inside again however. They’d forgotten that they’d left it in such a state of disarray.

“Oh god,” Tooru said, rubbing their cheek and looking both frightened and resigned. “Fuck. Well. I guess we’ll have to clean this first?”

“Yep,” Kuroo said resolutely. “Shouldn’t take long, right? If we work quick.”

“Yeah,” Tooru agreed. They sighed heavily and rubbed their hands together. “Shouldn’t take too long. Just let me text Iwa really fast to tell him we found the cat.”

“Course baby,” Kuroo said so casually with a peck to the cheek, like “baby” didn't still leave Tooru flushed and flustered.

Iwa first, though. Kisses later.

 

_ [15:52]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Did you find your cat? _

[16:14]  **TooruBelieves:** We did! She’s safe and sound~

_ [16:14]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Good _

_ [16:14]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Be more careful with her next time _

[16:15]  **TooruBelieves:** I will Bossy-chan XP

_ [16:15]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached Tooru _

_ [16:16]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Just trying to help _

[16:16]  **TooruBelieves:** Whatever whatever

[16:20]  **TooruBelieves:** Sooooooo

_ [16:21]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ So what? _

[16:21]  **TooruBelieves:** What did you think of Tetsu-chan :D

_ [16:23]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ I like him _

[16:24]  **TooruBelieves:** That’s all???? :(

_ [16:24]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ He’s a good guy _

_ [16:24]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Seems good for you. Sweet _

[16:25]  **TooruBelieves:** Awwww I’m so glad!!! :D

_ [16:25]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Yeah _

_ [16:26]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ You two doing anything tonight? Makki and Mattsun and I are going to the movies _

[16:27]  **TooruBelieves:** We’re staying in to have a movie night of our own :) :)

[16:27]  **TooruBelieves:** If you know what I mean ;P

_ [16:28]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Gross _

_ [16:28]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Have fun cleaning the apartment too _

[16:29]  **TooruBelieves:** You could come help you know. You made the mess

_ [16:30]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of it not being my apartment _

[16:31]  **TooruBelieves:** You're an ass XD

_ [16:32]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ If you really need help I'll be there but I figure you want the alone time with your boyfriend more _

[16:33]  **TooruBelieves:** ……………

[16:34]  **TooruBelieves:** Stop being right about things when you're being mean XP

_ [16:34]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ :) :) :) _

_ [16:35]  _ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _ Have a good night Shittykawa _

[16:36]  **TooruBelieves:** You too Iwasalty :) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	10. Thirst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, go on,” Tooru encouraged. “What is it?”
> 
> Kuroo swallowed. His skin prickled with heat. He wanted them so badly it was hard to speak.
> 
> “Tooru,” Kuroo said in a hushed but wildly excited voice. “Can we have sex tonight?”
> 
> Tooru beamed so brightly Kuroo was almost blinded.
> 
> “Yes,” they said, twisting their fingers in Kuroo’s shirt. “Holy shit yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically smut city. There's some cute relationship development but nothing you absolutely can't miss if you're not into sex scenes and want to skip it.
> 
> Also sorry it's split kinda weird. Chapters 9 and 10 happen in the same day but it actually flowed better split in half. It was weird and rushed and clocking in at like 12k so… Hopefully this is okay??

 

**Fri 31/12/16 [TooruBelieves]**

_[16:37]_ **_Iwa-chan <3:_ ** _Oh, and happy NYE_

[16:37] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah yeah, you too :) :)

 

It took long. They’d torn apart every crevice, every nook and cranny of Tooru’s apartment in their search for Momo. Over an hour and a half of rearranging, organizing, shelving, restocking, and cleaning finally got the place back to an acceptable level of neatness. To be fair, it probably wouldn’t have taken quite as long without two key factors; one, that Tooru was pretty particular about where and how everything was put back into place: and two, that it was Kuroo who was helping them clean.

Now Kuroo was extremely dedicated and helpful. He put up with Tooru’s perfectionism without complaint, even when Tooru had him completely rearrange the bookshelf to make sure they were ordered by both title and genre. So it wasn’t Kuroo’s work ethic holding them back.

It was Kuroo’s mouth.

Kuroo’s snarky comments and jokes that made Tooru double over with laughter, Kuroo’s taunts that dissipated their work in favor of bantering back and forth, and of course, Kuroo’s mouth all over Tooru.

He kissed their neck from behind while they were restocking their pots, held them by the waist and kissed their cheek after getting the living room back in order, pressed Tooru up against their counter and kissed them, flicked his tongue into their mouth, smoothed his hands from their waistband to their shoulders. It took them a lot longer to finish but god Tooru wasn’t going to complain.

They were humming—their body, their heart, their brain—by having this time alone with their boyfriend. For the first time, truly and completely alone.

As a reward for finishing before sunset, Kuroo had lifted them onto their counter, both hands on their waist, kissing them with tongue and teeth and lips. He had Tooru’s breath hitching and heaving, their legs wrapped around him as heat began to pool in their gut. Both hands were fisted in his hair, hips twitching a little as they tried to contain themselves. They pulled apart only when they weren’t getting enough air, pressing their foreheads together with a giggle.

“God, you’re still way too good at that,” Tooru breathed, running their hands down Kuroo’s cheeks to his shoulders.

“Says you,” Kuroo smirked, equally as winded. “Do you wanna stop?”

Tooru did not. But their stomach felt like this was the appropriate time to very loudly remind them that they hadn’t eaten that afternoon and it was nearing six o’clock. They were a little lightheaded, not just from the kissing. Probably a good idea to get some food.

“Not really,” Tooru said. “But we haven’t eaten yet and we should probably do that.”

Kuroo frowned disagreeably but he didn’t argue. Tooru heard his stomach growl too and Kuroo stepped back with a sigh.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said grumpily.

Tooru chuckled and slithered off the counter, passing Kuroo with a kiss to the cheek on their way to the refrigerator. They felt the corner of his mouth pull up against their lips as they walked by.

“I’ll make us some food. Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Tooru offered.

“That sounds great,” Kuroo agreed excitedly.

They looked at each other for a moment and in the silence Tooru was fairly sure that they were both thinking the same thing.

Tooru’s pulse hammered with excitement. Kuroo was in their apartment. In their apartment by himself. They could kiss and snuggle and do whatever gross coupley things they wanted without anyone else to judge them. It was the first time the two of them were actually, truly alone with each other. It had been completely unplanned but Tooru couldn’t imagine anything else in the entire world they’d like to do on New Year’s Eve than have a movie night with Kuroo Tetsurou.

“Alright, just let me see what I’ve got in here,” Tooru said, turning away with a smile. “I have Netflix. Pick us out something to watch.”

“Are you sure you trust me to pick something? One of the first conversations we had was about my shitty taste in movies,” Kuroo teased as he walked back out to the living room.

“I can always veto your choice,” Tooru said with a shrug.

As Kuroo plopped down on Tooru’s sofa, they saw him pull out his phone while he flicked on the TV to movie surf.

 

**[CatDad]**

_[17:34]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Did you take Shouyou’s bike?_

[18:11] **CatDad:** Yeah sorry KP, Tooru’s cat got out and I had to rush over to help find her

 _[18:12]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Oh no, did you find the cat?_

[18:12] **CatDad:** Yeah she’s fine :) :)

 _[18:13]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Good :)_

[18:13] **CatDad:** Glad to know you use emojis for cats but not for people XD

 _[18:13]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Not true. I use emojis with Shouyou_

[18:14] **CatDad:** What a lucky partner :P

 _[18:14]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _They’re a lot of effort_

 _[18:15]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _You know I love you anyway_

[18:15] **CatDad:** Surrreeeee whatever :)

[18:16] **CatDad:** You staying at Shouyou’s tonight??

 _[18:16]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Yep_

[18:17] **CatDad:** Cool, I’ll be at Tooru’s. Not sure if/when I’ll be back

 _[18:17]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Okay_

 _[18:17]_ **_KittenPie:_ ** _Have fun_

[18:17] **CatDad:** Thanks :)

 

Kuroo didn’t realize how exhausted he was until he collapsed onto Tooru’s worn leather sofa. It had been quite a day indeed. This was an unexpected but very welcome ending to the stress: and even with how tired he was, he couldn’t help but vibrate a little with excitement.

He and Tooru were going to enjoy a nice evening together without any interruptions. Hopefully. If someone interrupted them this time Kuroo was probably going to break something.

He also tried not to think about the fact that this was the first at-home date he’d had in a very long time. That the last time he’d been invited into a house he’d seen it packed into an empty shell before the person in question left his life. He reminded himself that Tooru wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t going to let Saeko have control over his life, or ruin what could be a nearly perfect night.

“How does leftover ramen sound?” Tooru asked over their shoulder. “I’m not a great chef like you or Kenma.”

“Whatever you make sounds great,” Kuroo said a little distantly, blinking himself back to the present.

“Ramen and popcorn it is then,” Tooru twittered. “Make sure to find us something to watch.”

They started humming to themselves as they reheated their ramen in a pot and made some popcorn in the microwave. As Kuroo queued up Tooru’s Netflix, he let his eyes wander around the apartment since he hadn’t gotten the chance this morning.

It was the quintessential college apartment. Small, with the tiny kitchen and surprisingly spacious living room open to each other. There were succulents all along the windowsill, with others scattered about on the TV stand, the bookshelf, and even the low table in front of the sofa. The walls were fairly blank save for some plant diagrams and a few photos of Tooru with Iwaizumi, Mattsun, and Makki, and of Tooru with another couple Kuroo didn’t recognize. There were piles on the floor of a few random biology books and plant diagrams. Kuroo wondered if Tooru drew them themselves.

He flicked through the selection of movies on Netflix to find something interesting. Nothing really caught his eye. He wasn’t in the mood for anything serious and he turned into a blubbering mess during pretty much all animated films.

He ended up under the documentaries. There were a few on animals, one on architecture, another on the rainforest… he paused over one called _Wonders of the Cosmos_. It was about the formations of stars and planets. Looked interesting enough. Tooru would love it, which was the most important part.

“What’d you pick?” Tooru asked cheerfully as they walked over holding about a million things with the grace of… well, a baker.

“It’s a documentary about stars,” Kuroo said, taking one of the bowls and a glass of water from his boyfriend.

They perked up like a dog seeing a treat. “Really? Which one?”

“ _Wonders of the Cosmos_.”

“I’ve been wanting to watch this for forever!” Tooru cheered with a little clap. “You’re the best.”

Tooru curled up next to Kuroo on the sofa and the two tucked into dinner while Kuroo played the movie.

The reheated ramen was actually pretty good. They both finished their portions less than fifteen minutes into the film, leaving them open for prime cuddling. Kuroo big-spooned like a champ, Tooru curling up against his chest with their eyes glued to the movie like they were watching a miracle. Momo wandered in to join them as well, curling on the arm of the sofa just close enough for Kuroo to scratch behind her ears.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Tooru’s apartment steadily grew darker until the only thing lighting the room was the flickering glow of the TV. Perfect mood lighting for a perfect date.

The documentary was more interesting than Kuroo had been expecting. Then again, he wasn’t actually paying much attention. Tooru was tucked firmly against him, enraptured by the film. They were so… god why were they so cute? When they talked about plants or space or their cat, they were passionate and smart and funny and good _lord_ Kuroo was whipped.

Tooru’s eyes were wide as they stuffed popcorn into their mouth with abandon. They looked so cute, the light dancing across their cheeks and glinting off their glasses. Kuroo leaned to the side, giving them an affectionate kiss to the cheek and pulling them even closer to his body. Tooru tucked their head into his shoulder, eyes still glued to the screen. Smiling, Kuroo rested his chin on Tooru’s head and watched.

It was a distracted sort of viewing, though. When he looked down at them, he was struck by just how pretty they were, how they fit so well in his arms. They were snuggled together like they’d been lovers for years. Like Tooru knew exactly where they were supposed to be, and Kuroo knew it too.

Maybe Kuroo was biased but it was hard to pay attention to nebulas and galaxies when he had the most stunning wonder of the universe right there against his chest.

He must have been staring for quite some time because Tooru lifted their chin and squinted at Kuroo.

“Do I have something on my face?” they asked, wiping the corner of their mouth.

Kuroo shook his head, feeling his cheeks grow warm. “No you’re good. Sorry babe. Go back to watching the movie.”

“No, why were you staring at me?” Tooru asked, shifting a little to meet Kuroo eye-to-eye.

Kuroo’s heart thudded loudly in his chest. In the dimness of the light, Tooru’s eyes were the most gorgeous shade of chestnut, eclipsed by little flickers of blue from the TV. He reached out, taking their jaw and cheek in his hand, tilting their chin so he could more clearly see their lips. They were the color of peach blossoms. How could someone be this beautiful?

Kuroo leaned forward to capture those lips with his own, to remember their taste. It was meant to be a short peck, just enough to take in the feel, the taste of Tooru’s pomegranate chap stick.

It was better than he remembered. He was so enraptured just by the soft touch of their mouths that he was almost a little embarrassed. He liked Tooru, he really, really liked Tooru. Every sense of his was flaring, drinking in every last drop. It was disgusting, but Kuroo’s heart was ready to burst with affection so he didn’t really care.

As he went to pull away, however, strong, nimble fingers wound their way into Kuroo’s hair and pulled him in. Tooru parted Kuroo’s lips with their tongue, and Kuroo let it spill into his mouth. Kuroo returned the gesture, tasting the familiar sweetness of pomegranates, gliding over the roof of Tooru’s mouth, over their teeth, taking Tooru’s bottom lip and sucking.

Tooru groaned. The noise came from deep within their chest, low and guttural and undeniably sexual and Kuroo felt heat surge straight to his gut.

Kuroo’s brain was going haywire. Someone shouldn’t be able to be all of these things at once: cute, beautiful, funny, caring, sexy, and now making the lewdest, most arousing noises on the planet. Eyes wide, hand curled into Kuroo’s shirt, lips swollen from kissing, Tooru looked like they very much so did not want to stop.

A realization came to Kuroo so hard and fast it almost gave him vertigo. They were alone. Completely alone in Tooru's apartment. No one to intrude, no one to interrupt. They had the night to themselves.

It felt like they'd been waiting for this exact moment for a while.

“Are you okay?”

Kuroo felt his himself twitch back to the present. Tooru was still sitting in front of him, still a sexy mess, but they looked a little concerned.

Kuroo shook his head. He was extremely nervous even as he was extremely excited.

Because he had to ask. It wasn't in Kuroo's nature to just go for it.

“I’m fine,” he assured them, threading his fingers through their hair now that he was allowed to. “But I do have a question.”

“Well, go on,” Tooru encouraged. “What is it?”

Kuroo swallowed. His skin prickled with heat. He wanted them so badly it was hard to speak.

“Tooru,” Kuroo said in a hushed but wildly excited voice. “Can we have sex tonight?”

Tooru beamed so brightly Kuroo was almost blinded.

“Yes,” they said, twisting their fingers in Kuroo’s shirt. “Holy shit yes.”

With a wanton grin that transformed their face from adorable to sexy as fuck faster than Kuroo could think, Tooru leaned forward and captured his lips in a deep, needy kiss. Kuroo cupped their face in both hands and dipped his tongue into their mouth. Tooru groaned deep, the noise crescendoing into a whine as Kuroo’s hands began to wander.

They trailed from Tooru’s face across their jaw, down their neck, playing their collarbone. Then down again, over their chest, their sides, their stomach, down to the hem of their shirt where he paused.

Tooru’s hands fisted in Kuroo’s shirt, their head thrown back as they shivered beneath Kuroo’s fingers.

“Touch me,” Tooru pleaded, pulling Kuroo closer. “Oh god please keep touching me.”

Kuroo couldn’t suppress a moan. Tooru sounded so needy, clinging to Kuroo, and Kuroo was more than happy to indulge them.

Kuroo ran his hands under Tooru’s shirt, palms flat as he tried to map their body into his memory. There was the dip of their abdomen, leading in a tantalizing V below their boxers. To the sides, those perfectly angled hips, dimpling the smooth skin. Kuroo rubbed there experimentally with his thumbs, delighted when Tooru’s hips jumped forward with a moan. He glided his palms up their still sculpted stomach, pushing their shirt up to reveal inch by inch of smooth, peach fuzz-covered skin.

Kuroo was impatient as he reached Tooru’s chest, heaving and pounding with their pulse and their breathing. They reached up to help Kuroo tug their shirt over their head and then quickly tossed it aside.

Every single centimeter of their body was perfect. They’d packed on just a bit of chub since they didn’t live on a volleyball court anymore, and it made them the most enticing mix of soft and strong and lean. Kuroo wanted his mouth all over their body, wanted to mark them up so they remembered tonight for days or maybe even weeks.

“You’re so beautiful, Tooru,” Kuroo murmured, running his hands over their chest and stomach again. He loved the way their muscles tensed under his fingers, the way their breath caught as he moved feather-light over their skin.

“Thank you,” they said. Their characteristic arrogance was gone and they sounded genuinely grateful.

A sly smirk still curled their lips as they pushed Kuroo’s sternum with a finger and guided him onto his back. They settled over him with their legs on either side of his thighs, their hands framing his head.

“Off, Tetsurou, if you would,” Tooru said breathily, plucking at his shirt.

Kuroo struggled to worm his way out of his shirt, but he eventually managed. The cool air of the apartment prickled his skin and made goosebumps erupt all over him. Or maybe that was the sudden heat from Tooru’s fingers as they danced across his exposed flesh.

They looked down at him with their mouth hanging open, the same look in their eyes as when they’d been watching the documentary. Fascinated. Entranced. Wondrous.

“You okay?” Kuroo teased gently as he felt self-consciousness flush his skin.

Their eyes flicked to his face. _Hungry_.

Kuroo gulped.

“I can’t believe I have you,” they said quietly. Their fingers moved to trace the spaces between his freckles, just like they did on his arm in the library. It tickled, enough to have Kuroo squirming a little and gasping but Tooru didn’t seem to care. They looked hypnotized. “You’re… you’re so beautiful. You’re so…”

They caught their lip between their teeth and shuddered an inhale. “I want you.”

“Take me, then,” Kuroo said in a thick, scratchy voice. “No one’s stopping you.”

Tooru nodded. Then they were fully on top of him, pressing his body into the sofa, their legs tangled and hips dangerously close. Kuroo felt like he couldn’t get enough air, like he was drowning with the smell and sight and feel of Tooru all around him. Hands on either side of his head, Tooru leaned down and took the exposed flesh of his throat in their mouth. Kuroo gasped, fingers twitching, unsure of where or how to touch but overwhelmed by pleasure.

He settled them on Tooru’s shoulders, gripping tight enough to elicit a hiss through Tooru’s teeth. As they covered his neck with nips and sucks and kisses, their hips twitched forward. Their erections made contact, grinding together, and Kuroo’s back arched completely off the sofa.

The movement nearly knocked Tooru off of him. They barely caught themselves with a leg jolting to the floor, squawking in surprise.

“Sorry,” Kuroo breathed, helping Tooru re-stabilize themselves on the couch. “That just…I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Was it good?”

“Yes,” Kuroo nodded furiously. “Yes, do that again.”

“As long as you don’t try to launch me again,” Tooru teased, thrusting downwards once more.

Kuroo bit down on his lip, stifling the moan tearing from his lungs. The feel of their lengths rubbing together through their jeans, of the mix of pain and pleasure from Tooru’s mouth working his skin, made his whole body tense.

Tooru’s lips left his collarbone, breathing a stream of hushed gasps against his shoulder as they lost themselves in the rock of their hips. It was heat all over his body, his cock aching from more contact. Lifting his own hips, Kuroo wrapped his legs around Tooru’s middle. He tried to match Tooru’s thrusts. He was desperate to get as much friction with Tooru’s length as possible.  

He wanted all their clothes gone. He wanted to feel Tooru’s body pressed into his own, skin on skin until there was no barrier between them. There was a desperation in the way he rutted against Tooru, head spinning, trying not to think but just feel. Trying not to imagine why on earth this gorgeous, incredible person was thrusting against him wildly enough that Kuroo grunted with every movement.

“Oh god,” Tooru said, their voice thick and low.  

They slowed, winding down to a stop. Their arms trembled with the effort of holding themselves up, forehead pressed against Kuroo’s shoulder. Concerned, Kuroo unraveled his legs and threaded his fingers through Tooru’s hair, scratching gently at their scalp.

“You okay?”

Tooru nodded, curling their legs up underneath them to support their weight. They pushed themselves up, placing their hands on Kuroo’s chest. A little lazy smile pulled at their lips, cheeks dusted with a faint blush. Sweaty and wilting, their hair was sticking to their forehead. They were a sight, that was for sure.

“I was totally about to come,” they said, shaking their hair out of their eyes. Kuroo gulped.

Shit.

“Do you want to?” he asked, sitting up a bit on his elbows.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. Just not like this.”

Tooru’s mouth twisted into something much more insidious. They walked their fingers down Kuroo’s chest, down to his stomach, pausing around his navel. Kuroo’s chest heaved, drawing shallow, haggard breaths. Tooru’s hand was dangerously, dangerously low.  

“How…were you thinking?” Kuroo asked shakily.

Tooru shrugged. They traced swirls on Kuroo’s stomach, nonchalant as fuck while Kuroo suffered beneath them. Goosebumps perked up all over his body, snaking around his sides and into his spine.  

“How does a blowjob sound, Tetsu-chan?”

Tooru’s tone was casual, and it absolutely should not have made Kuroo’s cock spill precum all over the inside of his underwear.  

“I’m fine with that,” Kuroo agreed breathlessly.

Tooru cocked a brow.

“Just fine?” they asked coyly. “Tetsu-chan, I want to make you feel amazing.”

Tooru leaned forward, placing a hand flat over Kuroo’s heart. It was beating wildly out of control, throwing itself against his ribs. A simpering smile quirked Tooru’s lips as they crawled forward, stopping with their face just inches above Kuroo’s.

“I want to wrap my mouth around your cock,” Tooru crooned, the huskiness of their voice making Kuroo’s stomach flip over. “I want to suck you off, take you to the back of my throat, run my tongue over your slit until you’re coming so hard you’ll never want to use this—” Tooru tapped Kuroo’s trembling hand, “—again.”

Kuroo’s brain stopped working. Tooru was out to kill him, they had to be, and Kuroo was going to let them.

“Does that not sound more than ‘fine’ Tetsu-chan?” Tooru continued, leaning back and drawing out Kuroo’s breath with them.

“Yes,” Kuroo whispered. “Yes, I want that. That sounds amazing. Do you—do you want something too? I’m happy to suck you or…whatever you’d like.”

“Oh don’t worry, we can figure that out later,” Tooru said with a little dismissive wave.

Their mouth softened. They leaned up to give Kuroo a chaste kiss before pushing against his chest. He obeyed, falling back until he lay on the sofa with Tooru nestled between his legs.

There wasn’t enough room for Tooru to blow him like this, but they didn’t seem to be in any rush. Brown eyes locked onto Kuroo’s as they crawled forward, stopping when they hovered over him again. They paused, reaching forward to rub Kuroo’s shoulder fondly. It was gentle.

Kuroo smiled. Then he groaned loud enough for the neighbors to hear as Tooru ducked down to take the flesh at the crest of his ribcage into their mouth and sucked hard.

“Shit,” he hissed, feeling the tip of his rock-hard cock scrape painfully against the inside of his zipper.

Tooru’s mouth worked more of his skin as their hand moved to palm at the bulge in Kuroo’s pants. He whined, gasped, bucked hard and gripped their shoulders with his nails. His stomach was already so tight, precum leaking into his boxers and he needed either more or less if he was going to make it any longer than the next ten seconds.

Thankfully, Tooru was growing impatient as well. They left one last hickey beside the dark hair beneath his navel with a wet pop.

Knowing, skilled fingers undid his belt and the buttons of his jeans impressively quick.

“I’m used to doing this in a disgusting bathroom stall,” Tooru explained when they noticed Kuroo marveling at them. “This is much more spacious.”

Kuroo’s laugh never made it out of his mouth because in one swift movement, Tooru was tugging Kuroo’s pants and boxers down his thighs. His cock was red, throbbing, and leaking a thin trail of precum from the tip. He reached down reflexively to tug himself, relieve some of the pressure, but Tooru smacked him away.

“That would be my job,” Tooru said. “But let’s get into a better position.”

Tooru slid from between Kuroo’s legs onto the floor. They hoisted him around by the thighs until they knelt between his knees.

Now _that_ was an image Kuroo was not prepared for. Beautiful, perfectly imperfect Tooru kneeling in front of him, blinking up with those huge brown eyes, and oh my god _opening their mouth up for Kuroos cock_.

“Tooru you—oh god, that's super fucking hot but you know you don't have to do that right?” Kuroo blathered like an idiot because seeing Tooru on their knees wasn't something he felt worthy of.

“Of course I don't have to, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru crooned. “But I want to.”

“Okay,” Kuroo said breathlessly.

Because this was _happening_. It was really, finally happening. Kuroo had never been so excited, so desperate for sex in his life. Sex with Tooru. His boyfriend. Whom he adored endlessly. Who was about to put his cock into their mouth with no hesitation whatsoever.

“Wait, do you need a condom? Er, or want one?” Kuroo asked, stalling Tooru with a hand on their shoulder.

“Not unless you do,” Tooru said. “I'm fine with swallowing. Cum on the carpet is not easy to clean, let me tell you.”

Kuroo laughed and Tooru smiled and honestly what could be more perfectly them than that?

One of Tooru's hands stroked up his thigh, moving from the hem of his boxers to trail over his skin. Kuroo let out a trembling groan as those almond acrylics scraped gently over his bare skin.

“And, uh, pants?” Kuroo managed shakily as Tooru's hand smoothed over his hip bones.

“Whatever you want, Tetsu,” Tooru said gently. Their head tilted to the side with a curious arch of their brow. “You alright? Still wanna do this?”

“Absolutely,” Kuroo said quickly. “Absolutely. Just… A little nervous. Mostly excited though.”

Tooru nodded with a knowing, graciously understanding grin. “Of course. But it's just me, Tetsu. And I can stop whenever you'd like.”

Their fingers paused at the base of his cock and Kuroo whined out a yelp. He somehow smiled back and squeezed Tooru's shoulder.

“I know. I definitely don't want you to stop though.”

Tooru grinned. They danced their index finger up the underside of his cock and Kuroo whined again. It was so light it almost tickled.

“I can… Talk about aliens… If you'd like,” Tooru said, leaning forward to press wet, open-mouthed kisses up the shaft. “Oral education, if you will.”

Kuroo laughed again. He was about to assure Tooru that he was probably going to be fine without exploring any kind of student-teacher kink until much later in their relationship when Tooru's mouth suddenly closed over his cock and his mind wiped for several seconds.

Kuroo was so worked up he might have come with just one swirl of Tooru's tongue or scrape of their teeth if they didn't wrap two fingers around the base of his cock to hold him back. They moved so slowly Kuroo was sure he would combust, taking him by the millimeter until he felt the tip brush the back of their throat. Practiced as a pro, they didn't choke or sputter at all, but they also didn't move any further down. They were close enough to nuzzle playfully at the curled tips of his public hair before moving back up just as slowly.

Kuroo wasn't sure whether to keep chuckling or melt right into the sofa cushions. Of course Tooru was just as silly during sex. Of course Tooru somehow managed to be silly and sexy at the same time. Of course the combination of the two had Kuroo's knuckles white with pleasure on the back of the sofa, the other hand over his mouth so he could moan loud and uninhibited.

Tooru came off his cock with a pop and tugged at his wrist. “You don't need to do that,” they said impatiently. “The neighbors are already on hundred percent aware of what we're doing and the noises are hot.”

Kuroo nodded obediently, resting his hand like the other on the sofa as Tooru continued with a satisfied glint in their eye.

Their mouth was unbelievable. It was hot and wet, a little tight as their cheeks hollowed and tongue glided expertly along his length. It was like sinking into pure pleasure. Tooru set a steady pace, careful to keep the base of his cock firmly pinched as they sucked him.

They started slow, agonizingly slowly, taking a little more of him each time. Kuroo’s thighs shook, little pleas trickling from his lips as he begged Tooru to go faster.

They began to pick up the pace, little by little, flicking his tongue at Kuroo’s slit as they grazed their teeth over the shaft.

“Ahhh!” Kuroo gasped at the sharp sting of pleasure that shot through him, so many sensations happening at once. “Yes, yes baby, so good, so good…”

Kuroo bucked into their mouth, scrabbling at the back of the couch and shuddering in breaths.

Tooru reached up to grab Kuroo's arm to settle his hand in their hair. They didn't stop sucking him, didn't stop swirling their tongue and bobbing their head. They blinked expectantly up at him with their mouth stretched wide over his cock.

Kuroo was honored by the invitation and he wasn't going to waste another second of it.

Both of his hands came down to fist in Tooru's hair. They yelped through their nose a little in pain, so Kuroo loosened his grip. They nodded when he wasn’t hurting them anymore and grunted for him to continue.

Kuroo fucked up hard into Tooru’s mouth, thrusting against them, feeling himself brush against the back of their throat. Tooru didn’t hesitate, didn’t choke or sputter, just let him pound into them at his discretion. They alternated between sucking, humming, lightly grazing their teeth, and twirling their tongue over his entire length as Kuroo slowly crumbled apart. Tooru was unbelievably good at giving head. They knew exactly how to move to have the most undignified, pathetic whimpers and moans falling from Kuroo's lips. It was so good he thought he might melt into bliss.

Then, without warning, they released him and began pumping the bit of his cock that wouldn’t fit into their mouth. The release of all that tension nearly sent his orgasm careening over him, precum surging onto Tooru's tongue.

“Tooru,” Kuroo gasped desperately, forcing himself to a standstill as the heat in his stomach crackled and threatened to burst. “Tooru I'm gonna come… Baby I'm not… Oh god… I can't… I can't stop it I'm… it's…”

Tooru cut off his pleas of warning by grabbing both of his hips and taking Kuroo as far into their mouth as they could manage. They looked up at him, cheeks hollowed and eyes on fire, and even though he'd been told before that it was okay, the fact that they had an ironclad grip on his body and were showing him that they _wanted_ him to come down their throat made him shout and finally snapped the spring in his gut.

His vision blurred as he pulled hard on Tooru’s hair, frozen and shaking as his orgasm burst through his body. The whine that left his throat came out of his mouth and nose so high-pitched it didn't even sound like his voice. Every muscle in his legs and stomach tensed as he came in spurts down Tooru's throat.

The aftershocks that sparked through his body came in waves and Tooru sucked him diligently through it all. Kuroo whined his way down from his high, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. His hips thrusted weakly, and he still held onto Tooru's hair. Even after all the cum left him he was begging for Tooru _keep fucking going_ because for some reason the overwhelming feel of their tongue on his softening dick was so maddening he couldn't stop. It was overstimulating. It was _painful_ but he needed it so badly it was ridiculous. He wanted Tooru to take every last bit of him until he was empty and spent.

His whines eventually faltered into quiet sobs, and it was only when he knew he could not take it anymore that he let them go. He collapsed like a stringless marionette onto the sofa, limp and panting. He trembled. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to move again.

He heard Tooru shuffling on the floor but he couldn't open his eyes to see what they were doing. He was vaguely aware of them when they plopped down beside him, stroking his thigh and humming as they waited for him to recover.

It could have been five minutes or it could have been an hour before Kuroo was able to open his eyes. He flopped his head to the side to look at his blessed boyfriend and he couldn't have been closer to paradise if he was standing right at the gates.

“Thank you,” Kuroo crooned, reaching up a lazy hand to brush their jaw. “Sorry about that.”

“Don't apologize. I asked you to do it,” Tooru said firmly. “Though I am kind of curious… What the fuck was that last bit? You kept me going for ages—and I am _not_ complaining—but didn't that hurt?”

“It did,” Kuroo said. “But I liked it. I really, really liked it.”

Kuroo sighed blissfully and rested his head on Tooru’s shoulder. They raked their fingers through his hair as his breathing evened out and the sparks of pleasure started to prickle out of his limbs. He had half a mind to just curl up in Tooru’s lap and fall right to sleep as they scratched his head into pure contented happiness.

He couldn’t leave Tooru hanging, though. Not only that, but he didn’t want to leave Tooru hanging. As incredible as his own orgasm had been, there was nothing he’d wanted more tonight than to please Tooru’s body as much as he could.

"Alright, what would _you_ like, Tooru?" Kuroo asked when he felt the strength returning to his limbs. He straightened up, throwing an arm around Tooru’s shoulders and grinning, his brain still half-fuzzy from his orgasm. He tugged his pants and boxers back up his hips while Tooru thought.

"Tetsu-chan is so eager to please," Tooru teased but it was completely lackluster.

"Of course," Kuroo said. "But you didn't answer the question."

Tooru thought for a moment, tapping their chin. Kuroo took the opportunity to work his hand up Tooru’s thigh, right over the growing bulge in their jeans. Tooru sucked in a breath, abs tensing as Kuroo began to rub them with his palm. Their toes curled and uncurled and something that vaguely resembled human language sputtered out of their lips as their eyes fluttered shut.

“I’m sorry baby, what did you say?” Kuroo said innocently, tightening his grip. Tooru moaned, nice and loud just like Kuroo wanted.

"I think... I think I just want your hands," Tooru breathed sharply as Kuroo's palm continued to rub at the increasingly tight spot in Tooru's pants. “Don’t… don’t care h—ow, _ahhhhh_.”

Kuroo gave a particularly forceful stroke of Tooru’s cock through their clothes and Tooru melted with a moan right into the sofa. Kuroo smirked in self-satisfaction, but he released them, not really wanting to chafe them or have them come in their pants.

They pouted at the loss of contact, but then Kuroo was undoing the button of their jeans and peeling them down Tooru’s thighs to their knees. They wore freaking space rocket boxers that almost made Kuroo lose his shit, but he managed to keep his cool. Tooru was breathing too hard to notice anyway, eyes still shut tight as Kuroo gently removed their clothes. He tugged their boxers down gently too, revealing their rock-hard cock beaded at the head with precum.

“How… how do you…” Tooru panted, but Kuroo hushed them as he rearranged them on the sofa, his back pressed against the arm.

"Here, I got you."

Kuroo turned Tooru until their back was flush against his chest. It was a little more difficult to work Tooru's cock like this but it was so nice he didn't care. He could feel Tooru breathing hard and shallow against him. All of their weight rested heavily against his chest. He settled his chin on their shoulder and he could see their face in perfect profile and it was so much more than enough. They were nestled perfectly between his legs, tucked up against his body almost like they were cuddling.

A serene, surprisingly intimate position.

Kuroo wound one arm around their waist to keep them from slipping out of his lap, while the other traced the curly coarse patch of hair down from their navel to their swollen erection.

***

Like everything else he did, Kuroo was gentle and calculated when it came to sex. He was careful not to push too hard, not to hurt Tooru or make them uncomfortable. He wasn’t satisfied with just any position either, but took all of Tooru’s weight onto him and secured them tightly in his arms. They’d never felt so safe. So cared for.

It was actually a little frightening. Romantic sex wasn't in Tooru's repertoire. Pressed up against Kuroo's chest like this, his breath tickling their ear, they were completely at his mercy. Vulnerable.

They were still glad they’d asked for it this way. However phenomenal it would be to have Kuroo’s mouth on them, the feeling of being held by him while they watched those strong, gorgeous hands work their magic was incredible. And they knew Kuroo would never, ever hurt them.

All they could do was trust him.

Tooru shuddered as Kuroo ran his palm over the head of their cock a few times, getting his hand nice and slick with precum.

“Do you want to use lube? Or a condom?” Kuroo asked as he trailed his index finger down Tooru's cock, making their hips jump involuntarily. It almost tickled, just like Tooru had done with him.

“I'm g—good, baby, unless you, ahhhh, want them,” Tooru said as confidently as they could with those acrylics sliding back up their shaft.

“Not really,” Kuroo said. “But I'm—god, you're seriously too beautiful. Can I touch you some more?”

Tooru blushed red hot. They’d… never been asked that before. Of course Kuroo could touch them. Wasn’t that the point of all this?

“Of—of course,” they said. “You don’t need to ask.”

“Yeah I do,” Kuroo said, trailing soft, warm kisses from Tooru’s ear, down their jaw, to their neck. “Gotta make sure you’re comfortable. It’s your body.”

Tooru’s cheeks flared even more. The temperature in the room went up by about a thousand degrees, and Tooru felt more self-conscious than they could ever remember feeling during sex.

They didn’t have much time to dwell on being flustered before Kuroo was touching them again. Kuroo splayed his hands flat over their stomach, pressing and gliding over their abdominal muscles. They roamed up to touch Tooru's rapidly rising and falling chest too, then back down to fit his fingers in the spaces between his ribs.

Tooru's back arched and nails dug into Kuroo's thighs as he touched that particularly sensitive spot, gasping a quiet, “holy shit, yes.”

“Are you ticklish, Tooru?” Kuroo mused, and they could literally hear the smirk in his voice even though they couldn't see it.

“Extremely,” Tooru admitted through gritted teeth as Kuroo stroked his thumbs up Tooru's sides.

Kuroo snickered and flicked his thumbs up under Tooru’s arms. They yelped, shot him a glare out of the corner of their eye, but Kuroo just laughed. His hands wandered back down Tooru’s thighs and they couldn’t suppress a shiver from his nails and his touch and his affection.

Then he wrapped a hand firmly around their cock and gave a nice, strong tug.

“Fuck!” Tooru shouted in surprise, clamping down on Kuroo’s thighs.

Kuroo set a nice, steady pace, stroking firmly, rolling his palm over the head, sliding his thumb periodically over the slit. It took almost nothing for Tooru to start whimpering, to dissolve into Kuroo’s touch. His hands were skilled and knowing, coaxing out a moan here, a hiss there, a “fuck, yes Tetsu-chan,” in between.

When Kuroo picked up the pace, his other hand crawled up Tooru’s chest to tweak a nipple. Tooru’s eyes rolled back and their hips bucked up into Kuroo’s hand. They were torn between melting against his perfect bare chest and fucking up hard into his hand.

Their body thrummed with pleasure. It crackled down through their legs, trickling into their chest until their mind fuzzed over from all the sensations.

“Fuck…oh god _fuck_ Tetsu-chan,” Tooru breathed, chest heaving, one hand reaching behind them to fist in Kuroo’s hair. “God don’t stop, please don’t stop! More!”

Kuroo obliged them without hesitation. He jerked them hard, hand moving rapidly, the other still tweaking their nipple, roaming over their chest, down their sides, their stomach. Tooru met each stroke with a jerk of their hips until their pace became uneven and erratic. Their head fell back onto Kuroo’s shoulder, nothing but moans and scrambles of “yes, Tetsu!” tumbling from their lips.

“I got you baby, I got you,” Kuroo said as Tooru’s body began to tense, back arching and fingers scrabbling at Kuroo’s jeans. “Come for me, Tooru.”

Tooru gasped harshly. The affection and care in Kuroo’s voice, the rhythmic slide of Kuroo’s hand up and down their cock, his hand all over their body, brought the heat building in Tooru’s stomach boiling to the surface.

“Tetsu—rou!” Tooru cried as they came, hot and hard over Kuroo’s hand and their own chest and stomach. Their hips jerked wildly, abdomen spasming as pleasure flared through their blood and hazed their vision.

Kuroo stroked them down, cooing at them, kissing their jaw and cheek as Tooru twitched and groaned through their orgasm. Pleasure sparked out into Tooru’s fingers and toes as they breathed hard through the last twitches of ecstasy.

They collapsed back against Kuroo’s chest, still breathing hard and eyes closed. Kuroo jostled them a bit to lean back and grab some tissues to clean Tooru up. They hummed, scratching Kuroo’s head affectionately as strength slowly returned to their limbs.

They blinked up at Kuroo with the dopiest, happiest smile on their face.

“Welcome back,” Kuroo smiled, leaning over to kiss Tooru’s forehead. “How was it?”

“Phenomenal,” Tooru sighed happily. They wrestled their pants and boxers back up their hips with trembling fingers. “Every bit as good as my imagination.”

“Yeah? You’ve been imagining this?” Kuroo asked as Tooru leaned back against Kuroo’s chest, both their legs stretched out on the sofa. Kuroo wrapped both arms around Tooru’s middle, sighing contentedly into their neck.

“Oh yeah. What else am I supposed to think about while I’m jacking off?” Tooru snickered. Kuroo chuckled and kissed their cheek, squeezing them tight.

“Same.”

They sat there in silence for a beautiful, perfect moment of afterglow. Kuroo continued to press gentle kisses against their neck and Tooru reached up to trace the freckles on his arms. They couldn’t remember ever being this blessedly happy.

“Do you want to keep watching the movie?” Kuroo finally asked.

“Mmmm. Whatever you want,” Tooru mumbled. “I might fall asleep.”

“That’s fine. I don’t have to go for a while,” Kuroo said.

While Kuroo rummaged around for the remote, Tooru pulled out their phone to check for texts. They’d messaged Suga that morning about Momo and he’d probably appreciate a response. Suga tended to worry.

Before they slid their messages open, Tooru looked up at Kuroo once more. Their heart was full to bursting with affection for him: affection that eclipsed the fear that they’d just done something so open and vulnerable with him. He looked down at them too and they saw the same sentiment reflected in his face.

They looked up at Kuroo’s dark eyes, at the sweet smile curving his lips, his beautiful face and freckles and hair. They looked at him, and they couldn’t help but think that they might actually, really be falling in love.

 

[ **TooruBelieves]**

 _[18:37]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Hey sweetie just wanted to say I love you and know I'm here if you need to take more :)_

[20:45] **TooruBelieves:** Hey beautiful sorry I didn't answer earlier it's been a busy day lol

 _[20:45]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _No problem :) :) did you find Momo???_

[20:46] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah, that little shit ran off to some dude's house like two miles away

 _[20:46]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Of course she did XD_

 _[20:47]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Thank god you found her. I was over here planning a funeral with Daichi_

 _[20:48]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Well, I was planning the funeral and Daichi was saying I was too extra to function XD_

[20:49] **TooruBelieves:** My god Suga who even are you lmao

 _[20:50]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _A great friend who is invested enough in your emotional well-being to plan out an entire mourning ceremony for your cat excuse you_

[20:50] **TooruBelieves:** Okayyyyyy that's fair I guess

 _[20:51]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _ <3 <3 <3 _

_[20:52]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I'm glad you found her though_

[20:52] **TooruBelieves:** Me too :)

 _[20:53]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _What're you up to now???_

[20:53] **TooruBelieves:** Chilling with Kuroo :) :)

 _[20:53]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Awwwwwww I can leave you to it!_

[20:54] **TooruBelieves:** Nah it's okay we're just watching a movie

[20:54] **TooruBelieves:** I do have some exciting news though :)

 _[20:55]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Ooooo do tell do tell!!!_

[20:55] **TooruBelieves:** He and I just had sex for the first time :)

 _[20:56]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _OH_

 _[20:56]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _MY_

 _[20:56]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _FUCKING_

 _[20:56]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _(pun fully intended)_

 _[20:57]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _GOD_

[20:57] **TooruBelieves:** XD XD XD

 _[20:58]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Omg Tooru that's so great :D Was is good????_

 _[20:58]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Details, dear, details!!!_

[20:59] **TooruBelieves:** Suga

[21:00] **TooruBelieves:** It was so good

 _[21:01]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _AHHHHHHHH I'M SCREAMING OUT LOUD_

 _[21:01]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I'm so excited Tooru omg_

[21:02] **TooruBelieves:** It was perfect Suga honestly

[21:02] **TooruBelieves:** It wasn't, like, the most powerful orgasm I've ever had or anything but it was definitely the most perfect

 _[21:03]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _YES GOOD GOOD_

 _[21:05]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _What made it perfect if you don't mind me asking??_

[21:06] **TooruBelieves:** I don't really know tbh haha

[21:06] **TooruBelieves:** I think I just like him so much

 _[21:07]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _That's gay as hell and I love it_

[21:08] **TooruBelieves:** Yeah :)

[21:08] **TooruBelieves:** He's so good to me Suga. I've never had, like, emotional sex before

[21:09] **TooruBelieves:** He took care of me. I've never had someone so focused on me before

 _[21:10]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I take offense to that but I'll let it slide because I love you ;)_

[21:11] **TooruBelieves:** Lol you're ridiculous XD

[21:15] **TooruBelieves:** But he like… he called me beautiful. He asked to use a condom for a blowjob and a handjob like… who does that??? And it was kinda scary because he was just so careful but I really, really liked it Suga

 _[21:16]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I’m so fucking happy for you right now_

 _[21:16]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _You deserve someone who treats you well and cares for you :)_

[21:17] **TooruBelieves:** Is it normal for it to be kinda nerve-wracking?

 _[21:18]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Absolutely :) The first time Daichi and I actually “made love” I was scared out of my mind_

 _[21:18]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _But I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world_

[21:19] **TooruBelieves:** Okay, that makes me feel better :)

[21:20] **TooruBelieves:** Thanks for listening  <3

 _[21:20]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Always <3 _

_[21:21]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I hope you know this means I absolutely have to meet him now though~~_

[21:22] **TooruBelieves:** You will you will

[21:22] **TooruBelieves:** Maybe at the party?

 _[21:24]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _But that's so far from nowwwww_

[21:25] **TooruBelieves:** You'll live :P

 _[21:26]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Mean_

 _[21:27]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _I am happy for you. But I'm gonna go have some fun of my own now ;)_

 _[21:28]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _All this dirty talk got me nice and worked up and Daichi is shirtless ;D_

[21:29] **TooruBelieves:** I'd say tmi but there is no tmi anymore

[21:30] **TooruBelieves:** Go be nasty with your man

 _[21:31]_ **_PrincessRefreshing:_ ** _Love you babe~_

[21:31] **TooruBelieves:** <3 <3 <3 <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End notes: I'd super duper appreciate it if no one used words like “sinful” or “gross” when talking about the smut scenes. Queer sex is beautiful and great and fun and perfectly good.
> 
> And yes, there is a very real sci-fi ish movie called Thirst. Several of them I think.
> 
> Thanks to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing!
> 
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


	11. Spontaneous Combustion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga turned to Kuroo with a crafty smile. He folded his arms across his chest, scanning Kuroo up and down like an artist critiquing another person's work. 
> 
> “Well. You do like ‘em pretty, don't you Tooru dear,” Suga said. He dipped his head with casual decorum. “Sugawara Koushi, but you can call me Suga.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD WHAT'S UP Y'ALL! I should be posting a lot more this semester, sorry about the wait. Hopefully it's worth it???
> 
> Also, from what I understand “the orange on top of the aluminum can” is a classic Japanese pun similar to a “dad joke”.

**Mon 2/1/2017 [TooruBelieves]**

[10:12] **TooruBelieves** : Hey Kenma!! :D

_[10:13] **KenmaKat** : Hello Tooru_

_[10:14] **KenmaKat** : How are you?_

[10:14] **TooruBelieves** : I’m lovely thank you :) How are you?

_[10:14] **KenmaKat** : I’m fine._

_[10:15] **KenmaKat** : What’s up?_

[10:17] **TooruBelieves** : Wellllll I have a feeling you’re going to say no, but my friends are having a party in the next few weeks and I really wanted to invite you :)

[10:20] **TooruBelieves** : You’re more than welcome to say no of course :) We could always get together just us and watch a movie or something!!!!

_[10:21] **KenmaKat** : Hmmm_

_[10:21] **KenmaKat** : Could I bring Shouyou? _

[10:22] **TooruBelieves** : Of course!!! And Kuroo will be there too :)

_[10:22] **KenmaKat** : Hmmm_

[10:22] **TooruBelieves** : Also if you wanna come then leave early/when you get uncomfortable that’s totally fine! :D

_[10:23] **KenmaKat** : Ok_

_[10:23] **KenmaKat** : I’ll come_

[10:24] **TooruBelieves** : :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[10:24] **TooruBelieves** : Okay I’m so excited Kenma!!!!!

_[10:26] **KenmaKat** : Thank you for inviting me_

_[10:27] **KenmaKat** : Although I’d like to do a movie night as well. Parties aren’t really my thing_

[10:28] **TooruBelieves** : Totally understandable :) I’m glad you’re coming tho!!

[10:29] **TooruBelieves** : I’ll talk to you later Kenma!!! :D

_[10:31] **KenmaKat** : Talk to you later Tooru _

 

[10:40] **TooruBelieves** : Hello darling~

_[10:41] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Hi sugarplum :) _

[10:42] **TooruBelieves** : I have a proposition for you :D

_[10:42] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Oh~?_

_[10:43] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Is it sexual in nature? ;)_

[10:43] **TooruBelieves** : Ooooo is Tetsu-chan already horny? I just had my mouth on you two days ago~~

_[10:44] **Tetsu-chan <3**: I have a very tenacious libido lol_

[10:46] **TooruBelieves** : Well that isn’t what I was going to mention but I’m always down for a quickie

[10:47] **TooruBelieves** : Maybe later tho ;) ;)

_[10:48] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Lol okay :) _

_[10:48] **Tetsu-chan <3**: What’s the non-sexual proposition then??_

[10:52] **TooruBelieves** : Well okay, so Mattsun and Makki wanna throw a big new years party soon and I haven’t met your friend Bokuto yet so I was wondering if you’d like to come and bring some guests????

_[10:53] **Tetsu-chan <3**: They wanna throw a new years party more than two weeks after new years XD XD_

[10:53] **TooruBelieves** : Yeahhhhh

[10:54] **TooruBelieves** : When I asked why Mattsun just looked me deadass in the eye and said “time is an illusion you fuck”

[10:54] **TooruBelieves** : Why did I get stuck with these walking memes

_[10:55] **Tetsu-chan <3**: XD XD _

_[10:55] **Tetsu-chan <3**: They’re funny and they clearly love you so_

[10:55] **TooruBelieves** : They’re shitlords

[10:55] **TooruBelieves** : I say with every ounce of affection in my body :P

_[10:56] **Tetsu-chan <3**: My sweet, ridiculous Tooru, whatever will I do with you?_

[10:58] **TooruBelieves** : MaKe mE MeLt aPPAreNtLY

[10:58] **TooruBelieves** : I’m going to ban pillow talk until further notice

[10:58] **TooruBelieves** : No more being cute

[10:58] **TooruBelieves** : XP

_[10:59] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Yeah I’m 100% going to disregard that rule ;P_

[10:59] **TooruBelieves** : Whateeevvvveeeerrr you dork

[11:00] **TooruBelieves** : Do you wanna come to the party with some people or not??

_[11:00] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Of course I do, I’ll invite Bo. Is it chill if he brings his SO?_

[11:00] **TooruBelieves** : Sure, if you want :)

_[11:01] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Cool :)_

_[11:02] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Do you want me to invite Kenma?_

[11:02] **TooruBelieves** : Already done~

_[11:03] **Tetsu-chan <3**: You invited my best friend before me????_

_[11:03] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Wtf Tooru XD_

[11:03] **TooruBelieves** : There’s a very simple explanation for that, dear

_[11:03] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Oh? Do tell~_

[11:04] **TooruBelieves** : I like Kenma more than you

_[11:05] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Well._

_[11:06] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Definitely should have seen that coming._

[11:06] **TooruBelieves** : :P :P :P

[11:07] **TooruBelieves** : Do you still wanna see me today :D :D :D

_[11:07] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Hmmmmmm_

_[11:08] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Do I get a kiss?_

[11:09] **TooruBelieves** : Um, duh??? I love kissing you???

_[11:13] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Cool :)_

_[11:13] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Then yes :)_

_[11:15] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Though for the record I’d still want to see you regardless of the kiss situation_

[11:16] **TooruBelieves** : Yay!!! I’ll give you more details about the party too, once Makki and Mattsun get their shit together XP

_[11:17] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Lol sounds chill_

_[11:19] **Tetsu-chan <3**: What about Iwaizumi? Isn’t he a part of that conversation?_

[11:20] **TooruBelieves** : Iwa-chan is literally just along for the ride. I don’t think he could give less of a shit about planning a party as long we don’t void their security deposit XD

_[11:21] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Omg XD_

_[11:22] **Tetsu-chan <3**: Alright I gotta get to class. I’ll see you in the library?_

[11:23] **TooruBelieves** : See you Tetsu-chan~~

[11:24] **TooruBelieves** : <3

_[11:24] **Tetsu-chan <3**: <3_

 

**Tues 3/1/2017 [CatDad]**

[14:52] **CatDad** : Hey dude, are you and Keiji busy on the 17th?

_[15:36] **BigHoot** : I don’t think so!! :D _

_[15:36] **BigHoot** : Why???? _

[15:38] **CatDad** : My boyfriend’s friends are having a party and they wanted me to invite you :) So they could meet you and stuff

_[15:38] **BigHoot** : DUDE_

_[15:38] **BigHoot** : OMG_

_[15:38] **BigHoot** : YES OF COURSE_

_[15:39] **BigHoot** : That sounds like so much fun and it’s been forever since Keiji and I have gone out omg_

[15:40] **CatDad** : That’s so great :)

_[15:41] **BigHoot** : Ahhhhhhh I’m so excited!!! Your boyfriend will be there right??? And what are their friends like????_

[15:43] **CatDad** : Yeah they’ll be there :) So will Kenma and Shouyou so I’m sure you’ll be excited about that haha

[15:44] **CatDad** : Their friends are fucking demon-memes I swear XD But they’re super fun, you’ll like them

_[15:45] **BigHoot** : OH MY GODDDDDD_

_[15:45] **BigHoot** : I GET TO SEE KENMA??? AND SHOUYOU????????? :O :O :O :O :D :D_

[15:45] **CatDad** : Omg XD

[15:46] **CatDad** : Yes you get to see them lol though idk how long they’ll stay

_[15:47] **BigHoot** : I DON’T CARE_

_[15:47] **BigHoot** : I GET TO SEE THEM_

_[15:48] **BigHoot** : Oh my god do you think Kenma might let me hug them??? _

[15:49] **CatDad** : XD XD

[15:52] **CatDad** : Maybe but they’ll probs sit in your lap and play animal crossing or some shit

[15:53] **CatDad** : And of course Shouyou will be hanging off of you like a kid on a jungle gym

_[15:55] **BigHoot** : THAT’S THE BEST DAY EVER_

_[15:55] **BigHoot** : I’M LITERALLY SO EXCITED I’M RUNNING AROUND THE APARTMENT_

[15:56] **CatDad** : Do your thing dude I’ll see you next Saturday :)

_[15:56] **BigHoot** : AHHHHHHHHH_

_[15:56] **BigHoot** : Wait can I have your boyfriend’s number??? To thank them??_

[15:58] **CatDad** : Lol sure I’ll message it to you :)

_[15:59] **BigHoot** : Thank you! Love you Tetsurou! :D_

[16:00] **CatDad** : Love you Koutarou <3

 

**[AceOfJeté]**

[16:06] **AceOfJeté** : Heya! This is Kuroo’s friend Bokuto Koutarou :D I just wanted to thank you for thinking of me and inviting my partner and me to your party!

_[16:13] **TheCat’sBae** : Hello Kou-chan~~_

[16:13] **AceOfJeté** : Oooooooo is that the thing you do????? :O

_[16:14] **TheCat’sBae** : The thing I do?_

[16:14] **AceOfJeté** : With the name! The -chan!

[16:14] **AceOfJeté** : Kuroo said you did that and it drove him nuts

_[16:15] **TheCat’sBae** : Did he??_

[16:16] **AceOfJeté** : Oh yeah but that was like, before you two were dating

_[16:16] **TheCat’sBae** : Do tell~_

[16:22] **AceOfJeté** : He just said it was super annoying and it was hella patronizing but then after a while I noticed that he was just pretending to be annoyed cuz he’d blush all cute and get gross and all swoony when he mentioned you calling him that

[16:22] **AceOfJeté** : So I think now he’s just pretending to hate it when he really likes it

_[16:25] **TheCat’sBae** : XD XD Bless you_

_[16:25] **TheCat’sBae** : You have given me an invaluable gift_

[16:26] **AceOfJeté** : Oh!!!

[16:26] **AceOfJeté** : I don’t know what I did but you’re welcome!!! :D

_[16:27] **TheCat’sBae** : :) :) :) :) :)_

[16:28] **AceOfJeté** : But I wanted to text you and thank you for inviting me and my partner!!!

[16:28] **AceOfJeté** : They don’t go out much but they’re real excited :)

_[16:30] **TheCat’sBae** : Of course! We’re excited to have you~_

[16:31] **AceOfJeté** : Yay!!! I’ll see you then!!!!

_[16:31] **TheCat’sBae** : See you then Bokkun~_

[16:34] **AceOfJeté** : I LIKE THAT

_[16:35] **TheCat’sBae** : :) :) ;)_

[16:35] **AceOfJeté** : :D :D :D

 

Kuroo went to the Threesome’s apartment (dear god Kuroo couldn’t decide whether he hated or loved that name, but it always got a kick out of Mattsun and Makki and made Iwaizumi very cranky so really, win-win) the morning of the party to help them set everything up. There were going to be a lot of people there, and the apartment itself was not all that large, so it was taking some creativity to maximize their party potential.

The furniture had been pushed up as far against the walls as they could manage, and in the open space were scattered some scrappy folding chairs from Tooru’s work. Tooru would be getting refreshments ready later, so for the time being they just cleared off the counters and small, round dining table to the best of their abilities. Makki also brought out his Wii and collection of _Mario Party_ and _Mario Kart_ discs for drunken gaming expeditions.

“And Kenma will probably be more comfortable this way too, yeah?” Tooru said after rearranging the console setup about ten times. “I don’t want them to feel li— _Iwaizumi Hajime_ is this your _underwear_?”

Tooru practically caterwauled Iwaizumi’s name as they plucked a rather forlorn-looking pair of boxer-briefs out from under a sofa pillow. Iwaizumi snatched the briefs from Tooru’s hand, redder than Kuroo had ever seen him, while his partners howled from the kitchen. He exited the scene, pursued by a bear-y angry Tooru.

“I swear to god Iwa-chan if someone sits on a pair of cum-covered underwear tonight I will be baking _you_ into one of our wedding cakes! Don’t you walk away from me! Come back and clean up your mess!”

Iwaizumi tried to flee to his bedroom, but Tooru snagged him by the collar, hounding him about his hygiene habits. Iwaizumi turned on his heel, fists clenched and looking ready to throw the fuck down.

“It's _my_ apartment, Shittykawa!” Iwaizumi barked back.

“Yes, but some of these people are _my_ friends!” Tooru howled, jabbing Iwaizumi in the chest. “And Mattsun and Makki’s! Don't you want to make this a nice night for us?”

“What's the big deal! Have none of your friends ever seen underwear?”

“That's not the point Iwa-chan, ugh!” Tooru gritted their teeth, grabbing fistfuls of their hair.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth, obviously prepared to fight, but something in him deflated as he looked at Tooru. Their jaw muscles were clenching painfully and they were mussing what Kuroo knew to be a good hour of work with their hair.

“Awwww, c’mon Shittykawa! I happen to love Iwa-chan’s underwear,” Makki said, suddenly descending on them. He snatched the underwear out of Iwaizumi’s hands and held them up for examination. They were black with bright green dinosaurs all over them.

“I don’t care how much you like them, I don’t want them on the sofa!” Tooru huffed.

“Don’t listen to them, Iwa-chan,” Mattsun called from the kitchen, surprisingly sweet. “You’re tired as fuck. We get it.”

Tooru grumbled something sinister under their breath and stalked off into the living room to continue frantically cleaning. This included flipping the low table onto its side and flinging the cushions off the sofa and inspecting every single crevice.

Kuroo felt for Tooru, who was obviously stressed, but he couldn’t deny that Iwaizumi did look tired. All morning he’d been sluggish, trying (and mostly failing) to contribute to the cleaning with a body that didn’t seem to want to move. There were dark, bruising bags under his deadened eyes, with chapped lips to match. His hair, which already went in a million directions, was so fluffed and amiss he looked like someone had taken a latex balloon to his head and gone to town.

“You okay, Iwaizumi?” Kuroo asked. Iwaizumi yawned lion-like, showing all of his teeth and swaying a bit with the force of his own breath.

“‘M fine,” he said groggily.

“You’re a shit liar, babe,” Mattsun said, walking over from the kitchen.

“When it comes to your health at least,” Makki agreed. He flung the underwear toward their bedroom and wound an arm around Iwaizumi’s side with the closest thing to affection Kuroo had seen soften the harsh lines of his eyes and his mouth.

“How long did you sleep last night?” Mattsun asked, coming up to take Iwaizumi by the shoulders and give him a good, hard once-over.

Iwaizumi shrugged. “I dunno.”

“More or less than five hours?” Mattsun pressed.

“I—less,” Iwaizumi admitted. He scowled and refused to meet either of his boyfriend’s eyes.

Mattsun and Makki exchanged a concerned look with each other. They looked remarkably serious.

These were devils Kuroo wasn’t at all used to. It was always obvious to Kuroo how in love they were, from how much they laughed together and kissed and touched (and banged, according to Tooru’s bellyaching). It just wasn’t often that these two dropped the sarcasm they wore like second skins in favor of something much more sincere and caring.

Mattsun continued to rub Iwaizumi’s shoulders, slow and gentle, while Makki kissed his cheek and stared hard into his eyes.

“This is getting fucking ridiculous, you know, the amount of sleep you’re getting,” Makki said in a calm but stern voice.

“Yeah, well, not much I can do about that is there?” Iwaizumi snapped, growing red under the attention of his boyfriends. “I’ll be fine guys, Jesus.”

“Nuh-uh, we’re not letting you get away with that shit anymore, Iwaizumi. All this ‘oh it’s unavoidable’ whatever has got to stop,” Makki said firmly.

“Well, what do you propose I do then? Drop out of my fucking program? I can’t change the amount of work I have to do!” Iwaizumi said a little louder, squirming a little in Mattsun’s grip.

“Of course not you idiot, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all of this shit alone,” Mattsun snapped right back. The edge was back in his voice, if not ever so slightly blunted.

“Yeah, what are we, fish food?” Makki said. “I know we’re not med but we are both biology.”

“You know what? We’re gonna make a study schedule. All of us. We’ll set up time to do homework and review and whatever else we need. That way at least you aren’t alone,” Mattsun suggested.

“I dunno guys…”

“Baby,” Makki interrupted. “This isn’t a suggestion. We love you, okay? Let us help.”

Iwaizumi breathed in deep through his nose, mouth quivering like he was debating whether or not to say something. He probably realized from the hardened looks on both of his boyfriends’ faces that arguing was going to get him nowhere. He let out a long breath and swayed where he stood.

“Fine.”

“Thank you,” Makki said, much sweeter now.

“For now, will you just go take a nap? Actually no, I’m going to _tell you_ that you’re going to take a nap,” Mattsun told him firmly with a kiss. “We got this. We’ll wake you up before the party starts.”

Iwaizumi’s protests were entirely ignored as his boyfriends kissed him and ushered him into their bedroom.

Kuroo smiled and returned to Tooru, adjusting the pillows on their loveseat for the millionth time and muttering under their breath. His smile faltered a little. It was understandable for Tooru to be irritated and maybe even a bit nervous for this party, but the stiffness of their shoulders and the harshness of their whispering told Kuroo there was maybe more going on in their head.

“Hey, you okay?” Kuroo asked.

“Yes!” Tooru snapped, sounding far from okay.

“Yeah?” Kuroo pushed gently. “I mean, I guess I’m not about to tell you how you feel but I thought I was going to have to report a murder a few minutes ago.”

Tooru whipped around, nose all scrunched up and cheeks flushed, scowling darkly at Kuroo. Kuroo held up his hands in defeat, but Tooru deflated before he even had a chance to try and de-escalate the situation.

They straightened, taking a deep breath and rubbing their temples. When they exhaled, they shook their head and looked a little less actively livid. That muscle in their jaw still spasmed, though.

“I’m just...a little stressed,” they said in a too-high voice.

“A little?” Kuroo snorted. Tooru shot him a look that could curdle milk—not at all in the mood for teasing, then. Kuroo smiled apologetically and reached out for Tooru’s hand. “Sorry, that was shitty. What’s going on babe? Nervous about the party?”

“I just—”

“Hey, Tooru!” Mattsun cut in from the kitchen. “Do you want us to start heating up all that food you made?”

“Yeah that would be—actually no, I’ll come do it! I don’t trust either of you,” Tooru said.

They hurried to the kitchen, focused and determined as ever. They paused as they passed Kuroo by, giving him a weak half-smile and a kiss to the cheek. Before they slithered away again Kuroo, still a little concerned about their outburst, caught Tooru by the wrist and give them a nice, full-on lip kiss.

Someone wolf-whistled from the kitchen. Kuroo flipped whoever it was off.

When they broke apart, Tooru didn’t necessarily look less stressed, but they at least looked a little happier. They pinched Kuroo playfully on the cheek and he stuck his tongue out at them.

“How sweet, Tetsu-chan,” they said in their usual, supercilious simper.

“It’s fine. What can I do to help?” Kuroo asked with some long, intentional eye-contact in the hopes that Tooru would catch his drift.

Their smile got just a bit wider and Kuroo hoped that meant they understood.

“Just finish tidying up the living room, Tetsu. Thank you.”

Tooru gave him a playful smack to the cheek before bustling into the kitchen with purpose.

They stayed there for the majority of the remaining set-up time. Kuroo vacuumed and dusted and wiped things down like the good, domestic boyfriend he was, while Mattsun and Makki started hanging up decorations. There were streamers and balloons, a few candles, even a big string of characters that read “Happy New Year”. It actually looked really nice.

There was also the fact that as Tooru started preparing the food, the apartment began to smell absolutely divine. Fried chicken and tofu, pickled plums and vegetables, sticky steamed rice, all sorts of sauces and spices flavoring the air, making everyone’s mouths water. Makki tried to steal something from one of the dishes so many times Tooru erected a makeshift barricade with a bookshelf and several chairs.

Once they finished setting up the decor, there wasn’t much left for the three of them to do. Tooru basically banned them from the kitchen, so they all settled down on the pushed-back furniture instead.

“So, Iwaizumi seems like he’s hit his limits,” Kuroo noted to Mattsun and Makki. He’d been thinking about how exhausted Iwaizumi had looked. Not even exhausted; like he was on the verge of passing into a coma at any second.

Kuroo knew Iwaizumi was tired and stressed all the time because of his major, and because of the enormous amounts of pressure he put on himself. In the short time Kuroo had known him, he couldn’t remember seeing Iwaizumi looking well-rested. Ever.

He couldn’t imagine how difficult that kind of stress was on him. On Mattsun and Makki too.

“Yeah,” Mattsun said. He stretched out on the loveseat, Makki posed likewise opposite him with their legs stacked on top of each other. “Iwaizumi...he’s smart. I never ever once thought he wouldn’t be able to do this. I still know he can. He just…” Mattsun ruffled his hair and looked down into his lap.

“He refuses to let anyone help him,” Makki finished, less kindly, much more annoyed. Mattsun patted his leg and rubbed soothingly at his knee.

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Kuroo snorted rolling his eyes to the kitchen. “No wonder they’re best friends.”

“That’s why they got on so well when we were kids I think,” Mattsun agreed. “They pushed each other to be their best but they also didn’t let each other get away with anything.”

“Like that one time Tooru got that bad knee injury and tried to come back to practice before it healed all the way,” Makki chuckled, relaxing back into the arm of the loveseat.

“Or the time Iwaizumi stayed for five hours after practice to get his serve down just right, and Tooru literally dragged him home.”

They both laughed, some of the strain strung between them from earlier going slack and falling away. Kuroo smiled.

“You all have been friends for a while, yeah? And dating too?”

“Since high school,” Mattsun nodded. He shifted a little and took Makki’s hand in his own. They shared the secret, untouchable look of lovers. “Makki and I got together our first year. Then Iwa toward the beginning of our third.”

“Mattsun was absolutely head-over-heels for him,” Makki grinned.

“We were all head-over-heels, we were just young and too stupid to realize it.” Mattsun said, whacking Makki flirtatiously on the shin. Makki retaliated by flicking Mattsun on the nose. “To be fair, we’re still head-over-heels.”

“Even if one of us refuses to take care of himself,” Makki sighed dejectedly. He tucked both hands behind his head, leaning back on the arm of the sofa and staring blankly up at the ceiling. He gnawed on his lip for a long while, thinking—and Mattsun watched him, rubbing up and down his calves. “I just want him to be happy.”

“Who says I’m not?”

Three pairs of eyes lifted to meet a slightly disheveled but much less weary-looking Iwaizumi, emerging from the bedroom and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Hey baby,” Makki crooned. He crawled up onto the arm of the loveseat behind Mattsun, making room for Iwaizumi on his boyfriend’s lap. Iwaizumi half-smiled and gladly took up the vacated space, nestling into Mattsun’s chest.

“How’d you sleep?” Mattsun asked as Makki ran his fingers through Iwaizumi’s hair.

“Not bad,” Iwaizumi shrugged. “I feel a lot better now.”

“That’s good.”

Iwaizumi hummed in agreement. All three were uncharacteristically quiet for a time, draped over each other with tender touches and soft kisses, radiating contented affection.

“Hey,” Mattsun said, cutting through the silence. “You know we love you, right?”

Iwaizumi actually laughed. He straightened up and kissed both of his boyfriends, his smile reaching up to crinkle his eyes. “‘Course I know, idiot. Why do you think I chose you? You guys don’t let me get away with shit.”

“Never,” Mattsun agreed with a hearty squeeze around Iwaizumi’s middle.

As the three of them continued to kiss and cuddle and become increasingly more intimate, Kuroo decided to take his leave. The way Mattsun and Makki cared so deeply and almost instinctively for Iwaizumi was making him want for a certain brown-eyed knucklehead of his own.

Tooru was still barricaded in the kitchen, frantically flying around trying to get everything together. There were plates and trays all over, piled with food and even a few cocktails. The evidence of all of Tooru’s efforts was stacked everywhere, splattered on their face and all across the apron they wore. They were muttering to themselves and pacing, moving a rice ball an iota to the left, adjusting a cocktail, being their normal perfectionist self.

 It shouldn’t have been cute, considering how harried Tooru looked but...well. Everything Tooru did was cute.

“Hey love, need any help?” Kuroo asked, leaning on the half-wall that separated the kitchen from the living room.

Tooru yelped and jumped about a foot in the air. They held a hand to their chest like Kuroo had just given them the scare of their life.

“God, you almost gave me a heart-attack,” Tooru said, squinting their disapproval at Kuroo.

“Sorry love,” Kuroo said. “Do you need help with anything though? Like maybe moving the furniture back?”

Tooru looked hard at the bookshelf.

“We’re not leaving it there, Tooru,” Kuroo said firmly.

“But—”

“Nope,” Kuroo said before Tooru could get another word out. “You are not staying here.”

“But Tetsu-chaaaannnn,” Tooru whined.

“Uh-uh, you’re gonna come out and enjoy this party,” Kuroo said, straightening up. “And you better get yourself out here.”

Tooru folded their arms across their chest and raised their brows. “Oh yeah?” they said, their voice straddling the line between sarcasm and seriousness. “Make me.” They clicked their tongue for emphasis, chin tilted up in defiance.

Kuroo shook his head. Instead of retaliating, he stood and vaulted over the half-wall like the athlete he was.

“Tetsu-chan wh—No!”

Tooru understood their situation too late. Kuroo reached forward and lifted them off their feet bridal-style. They squeaked in the most satisfyingly undignified way possible, smacking Kuroo’s cheek indignantly.

Kuroo laughed and kissed their forehead before chucking them (gently) over the wall and into the chair pushed up against it. When they turned back to him, their cheeks were trembling with held-back laughter.

“What was _that_?” Tooru squawked, stomping to their feet with their hands balled into fists at their sides.

“Come on, we gotta get ready,” Kuroo shrugged before setting into motion.

Tooru huffed and reached across the wall to smack Kuroo upside the head again, which he deserved. It was worth it, though, to see that little smile twitching at their lips.

Together they moved everything back to less obstructive positions, leaving the kitchen and hallway open for mingling. The Threesome wandered in to help finish setting up while they started spreading out the food. Kuroo was pleased to see Iwaizumi looking a little livelier now.

It was around four when they got the apartment into a place where Tooru wasn’t actively panicking. To Kuroo, it looked absolutely perfect for a party. There were decorations, it was spotless, and there was enough food for a small army. Kuroo had to keep reassuring Tooru that would get “cozy” not “cramped”, even with the furniture pushed to the periphery.

They were so worried, even Mattsun and Makki were starting to look a little nervous. They kept glancing at each other, then over at Iwaizumi. Probably worried he’d be uncomfortable about all the people.

He was perfectly friendly, but Kuroo knew he wasn’t the most social person, and he wasn’t a fan of parties.

Before he had the opportunity to check in though, the doorbell rang. Kuroo straightened up, putting on his best sexy socialite grin.

Kuroo didn’t know the first few guests, and Tooru seemed only casually acquainted with them. Friends of Mattsun and/or Makki, Tooru said. The two of them hung out on the sidelines as the Threesome caught up with their guests while they waited for some of their own to arrive.

Which didn’t take long, and _boy_ , Kuroo thought he was ready to meet more of Tooru’s friends, but he realized the moment they opened the door that he was not ready. Not at all.

He knew it was Suga without even having to ask. It was hard not to. There were pictures of Suga and Tooru all over their social media, and even a few of them with another dark-haired individual hanging around Tooru’s apartment.

It wasn’t just that Suga was beautiful, which he was: all that silky greyish-white hair, tied up in a half-bun against dark skin that matched the chestnut of his eyes, speckled with a little beauty mark on the arch of his cheek. If they’d been alone at a bar, Kuroo would have absolutely bought him a drink. Or two.

And a hotel room.

So there was that, but what Kuroo had really not been ready for was the chemistry between Tooru and Suga. Kuroo couldn’t claim to see auras or anything, but if he could, theirs would have turned blinding bright with colors to match.

It made Kuroo smile.

They bypassed all formality and went straight into a hug, holding each other like long-distance lovers. Tooru laughed and squeezed a giggling Suga tight to their chest.

“God, why do I never see you anymore,” Tooru said, releasing their friend with a rare, genuine, beaming smile. “I miss you so much.”

“That’s what happens when you live so far away from me,” Suga said with an affectionate pap to Tooru’s face. His voice was extremely pleasant, with a soft, sing-song sarcasm that harmonized hauntingly with Tooru’s. “Aaaaaand you’ve had someone else occupying most of your free time.”

Suga turned to Kuroo with a crafty smile. He folded his arms across his chest, scanning Kuroo up and down like an artist critiquing another person's work.

“Well. You do like ‘em pretty, don't you Tooru dear,” Suga said. He dipped his head with casual decorum. “Sugawara Koushi, but you can call me Suga.”

His voice was still light, and judging from Tooru's little chuckle and smile, it was approval.

Not that Kuroo needed approval but. You know. Everyone craves validation at least a little.

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” Kuroo replied in kind. “I’m glad you appreciate the hours of hard work I put into my appearance daily.”

“You are a stone-cold _liar_ , Tetsu-chan,” Tooru chastised, flicking Kuroo’s shoulder.

“You can’t possibly spend more time on yourself than Tooru does,” Suga grinned puckishly. “I’m glad to see you’ve moved to someone a little more grounded so you don’t actually float away with that hot head of yours.”

“Yeah, well, you moved from a certified twink to an outright bear,” Tooru retorted, nodding at the scruffy but kind-eyed man still waiting behind them at the door.

Kuroo choked on a laugh, and the man rolled his eyes with a bemused smile.

“As a gay man I take offense to your hypersexual heteronormative stereotypes,” Suga scoffed, tossing his bangs in a flippantly Tooru-esque way and winking. “Though I have to point out that you'd clearly be an otter.”

Kuroo let out that horribly abrasive, snarling laugh of his that he'd hated in middle school but always made Tooru's eyes glow. The man behind Suga laughed too, equally as barking. Kuroo felt a very odd sense of kinship with this person for no other reason than their partners obviously being some sort of crafty witchfolk and the fact that their laughter made everyone in the apartment quiet for a hot minute.

“And that's my love,” Suga said, placing a hand on the small of the man's back. He looked at his partner like he held the most precious of treasures inside him and it was so tooth-rottingly sweet Kuroo made a mental note to call his dentist.

“Sawamura Daichi,” Weirdly Familiar Man said with a dip of the head.

“Here, let’s move this party to the kitchen so we aren’t blocking the door anymore,” Tooru suggested, ushering them out of the hallway.

They gathered around the plates of cat and bear-shaped onigiri, tucked into a corner of the kitchen where they’d be out of the way. Suga and Tooru both started grazing on the rice balls while Kuroo and Daichi both reached for the pickled fish and had one of those almost-touch moments that happen in a rom com. Spooky.

“Ugh, the rice is undercooked,” Tooru grimaced after nibbling the ear off their bear.

“You are ridiculous,” Suga said with a playful-but-genuine punch to Tooru’s side. “The rice is fine and these are delicious. Did you put something in different in them?”

“Um...let’s see. Pickled plums, seaweed, sesame...oh! There was ginger in the water I boiled them in,” Tooru said.

“Mmmmm,” Suga hummed, popping nearly the entire rice ball in his mouth at once. He closed his eyes, cheeks dimpling as he groaned in an eerily sexual manner at the food. He swallowed, smile widening, before smacking Tooru on the back of the head. “These are phenomenal. I don’t want to hear another word from you.”

Tooru rolled their eyes and kept chewing moodily on their own food. They grumbled something less-than-party-appropriate about Suga and what he should shove up his ass.

“Being as much of a perfectionist as you are must be exhausting. Don’t know how you have energy to be as much of a shit as you are,” Daichi remarked in such an off-handed way it took everyone a good bit to process it.

Kuroo actually _choked_ on his rice ball, and Suga—cackling—thumped him on the back to dislodge the lump in his throat.

“Ex—ex-fucking-cuse me, Daichan?” Tooru sputtered, expression teetering between amusement and rage.

“Just saying, you’d probably be significantly less tired all the time if you let the little details slide every once in a while,” Daichi shrugged, completely nonplussed. “Probably save a lot on concealer, too.”

Kuroo and Suga both howled with laughter. Tooru, on the other hand, seemed to be rendered utterly speechless and just blinked at Daichi, eviscerated. Daichi stared coldly into Tooru’s eyes and swapped a bear onigiri with a cat one, tore the ear off the cat, and ate it all without so much as blinking.

Tooru positively gaped at him.

“Like I said, no one gives a shit,” Daichi said. “Lighten up or you’re going to have a heart attack.”

It took a while for Kuroo and Suga to gasp their way back down from their collateral laugh attack. Tooru huffed at Daichi, berating Suga for having such a rude boyfriend, but Kuroo could tell from the rigidity of their features that they were also holding back laughter.

The unaffected gall with which Daichi squared up with his partner immediately earned Kuroo’s unabashed respect. He’d follow this man into battle without thinking.

“So Kuroo, tell me about yourself,” Suga said once they’d both calmed down a bit.

“Oh god, that’s my least favorite question,” Kuroo chuckled. “What do you wanna know?”

“You know, all those boring things people always ask,” Suga smiled, reaching now for a cocktail with a cherry in it. “Major, life goals, any felonies you’ve committed. Those sorts of things.”

“All those little, insignificant things,” Kuroo said and Suga laughed delightfully.

They chatted together for a while while Mattsun and Makki played host. Bokuto and Keiji said they were going to be a little late, and “on time” to Shouyou meant an hour after, so the four had some classic get-to-know-you time.

Kuroo learned that Suga lived in Nagoya and studied business management at the university there. Since it was nearly three hours away by train, he and Tooru didn’t get to see each other very often, though they were still extremely close. Before Tooru had started dating Kuroo, they’d meet halfway once or twice a month, or show up unannounced to surprise the other person at their apartment with a bottle of wine and a movie. 

“Not to guilt you at all, Kuroo,” Suga said, cheeks pleasantly rosy and halfway through his second cocktail. “The same thing happened when Daichi and I started dating. Though now that I’ve met you, there’s absolutely no excuse. I demand a monthly double-date.”

Kuroo didn’t feel guilted by Suga, either. All that teasing was a thin veil behind which was one of the most genuinely kind people Kuroo had ever met. When Kuroo started telling Suga about his own life, it was like Kuroo was the only person in the room. He gave Kuroo his full attention.

So Kuroo told him about his major, his lack of a job or any other extracurricular activities, his very limited life goals.

“God, I can’t imagine,” Suga said when Kuroo sheepishly admitted his ideal career post-graduation, buzzed on sake. “That’ll be so rewarding, I’m sure. Hard, but rewarding.”

“Yeah, we’ll see if it works out that way,” Kuroo laughed, trying to ignore the disgusting way Tooru was gazing at him as he talked to their friend. “I might get into it and decide I ha—”

“KUROO!”

The gunfire bang of the front door was nearly masked by a familiar booming shout as two hundred pounds of man collided with his side. Pure luck favored Kuroo enough that he wasn’t holding anything, and Bokuto body-slammed him into the fridge instead of into one of the piles of Tooru’s food.

For a moment, everything in Kuroo’s world was citrusy Old Spice and biceps. Which was not in and of itself a bad thing, but after a moment it was becoming somewhat difficult to breathe.

“Koutarou, please don’t strangle Tetsurou. Especially not in front of his partner,” a much calmer, soothing voice said.

“Right!” Bokuto said, releasing Kuroo.

He wheezed, but he couldn’t keep Bokuto’s infectious smile off his lips. One would think they hadn’t seen each other in months with a greeting like that, but nope. That was just kind of how Bokuto worked.

Kuroo loved it with all of his heart.

“Hi, which one of you is dating my best friend?” Bokuto asked loudly, swinging an arm around Kuroo’s shoulders.

“Bokuto…” Keiji said lowly, but Tooru was the one who dismissed their warning with a wave and a smile.

“That would be me,” they interrupted, unaffected by Bokuto’s boisterousness, or the fact that he’d wrangled the vast majority of attention in the apartment. “I take it you’re Bokkun, then?”

Kuroo sucked in air through his teeth, but Bokuto just let out an honest-to-god guffaw—hand on his hip, head thrown back, snorting through his nose. Keiji rolled their eyes, but the corner of their mouth curled upwards and they placed a hand on the small of his back.

“Yep, that’s me! But if you get to call me Bokkun I’m gonna call you To-kun,” Bokuto beamed proudly.

“To-kun,” Suga snickered jovially, downing the last of their second cocktail. “That sounds like Tofu.”

“I will tolerate To-kun, Bokkun, but I draw the line at Tofu,” Tooru sniffed. They swirled around their drink, looking Bokuto up and down with an air of reserved respect. “Especially since you almost broke my boyfriend and my refrigerator.”

“It isn’t even your refrigerator,” Kuroo reminded them.

“Did I really hurt you, Kuroo?” Bokuto asked, head tilted.

“Nah, I’m fine, I’ve been hugged to death enough by you,” Kuroo teased with a reassuring pat to Bokuto’s back.

“Okay, good,” Bokuto said, brightening up. “Sometimes I still forget how strong I’ve gotten.”

They all laughed, and Kuroo was really starting to enjoy the rumble of Daichi's while the hellish ring of Tooru and Suga's together put the fear of god in him.

“Bokkun, is this your partner?” Tooru asked, nodding at Keiji.

“Oh, right, yeah! This is Keiji!” Bokuto said, his smile becoming a veritable beacon, just like it always did when he was talking about Keiji or around Keiji or even thinking about Keiji.

“Akaashi Keiji,” they said with a smile and a deeper tilt of the head than Suga had afforded Kuroo. Ever the polite one.

“Lovely to meet you,” Tooru smiled with a similarly respectful nod. “I would be thinking of a clever nickname right about now but something about you makes me think I would regret being put on your shitlist, so I’ll stick with Akaashi.”

Keiji’s lips perked up, amusement glinting their dark eyes. “A perceptive and wise choice, Oikawa.”

“You don’t want to be on Keiji’s shitlist, that’s for sure,” Bokuto agreed. He squeezed Keiji around the middle with both arms and kissed their cheek, so lovestruck, so disgustingly cute.

God, all of Kuroo’s friends were disgustingly cute.

_Bzzz bzzz._

_Speaking of disgustingly cute..._

_[18:22] **KittenPie** : I think I'm outside_

_[18:22] **KittenPie** : It's loud enough to be a party but I'm anxious I'm at the wrong place_

_[18:22] **KittenPie** : Can you come out and get us_

[18:23] **CatDad** : Sure thing KP just a sec

 

Kuroo kissed a curious-looking Tooru on the cheek with a hurried “Kenma, be right back” before threading his way through the small but growing crowd.

He opened the door to find just about what he'd expected. Kenma and Hinata stood a little less than a head below Kuroo right in front of the door. Kenma clutched Hinata’s hand like they were going to vanish at any given moment, pressed up against their partner's side. They were hunched over their phone. It was clear from the tension in their shoulders and the arch of their back that the sound of people and the pulse of the bassline were overstimulating even from the hallway.

Then there was the ray of sun that was Hinata Shouyou, rocking on the balls of their feet with a face-splitting grin.

“Hello Kuroo-san!” Hinata said gleefully.

They looked so cute in one of Kenma’s old sukajan jackets, embroidered with two roses on the breast and a dragon on the back. Kenma, likewise, wore Hinata’s high school volleyball jacket and a pair of sports joggers. He was pretty sure the two of them had just thrown all of their clothes together once Kenma started saying at Shouyou’s place.

“Shouyou, I told you that you don’t have to call me that anymore,” Kuroo said just like he did nearly every time he saw Hinata.

“I know,” they said, suddenly going pink.

Kuroo just laughed and opened the door for them. “It’s fine. Come on in.”

Hinata followed excitedly, trailing a Kenma now buried in their PSP behind them.

“Thank you so much for inviting us!” Hinata bubbled as Kuroo tried to fight back through the crowd. “I’m so excited to meet your boyfriend. Boyfriend, right? Or partner? Your person! And didn’t Kenma said Bokuto-san would be here too, is that—Kenma, are you okay?”

Kenma didn’t look okay. To the untrained eye, they might have looked bored, but Kuroo and Hinata both knew better.

Kenma wasn’t fragile or exceptionally antisocial by any means. They just tended to get overstimulated by crowds and too much noise, which was understandable. It was more like sensory overload than anything else.

“Can we turn the music down, please?” Kenma asked in a voice just loud enough to hear over the dull thump of the bass. Their nose scrunched up for emphasis.

“Of course, just—let me—ugh, oi, Makki! Makki! Hanamaki Takehiro!” Kuroo yelled across the room in frustration. Makki perked up to look at Kuroo, holding a hand up to his ear. Kuroo shouted louder, “Hey! Can you turn the bass down!”

Makki looked confused and held his hand up to his ear with a smirk. He sighed and smacked his own head in frustration. It wasn’t even that loud.

“TURN! THE! BASS! DOWN!”

Everyone in Kuroo's proximity stared at him, but his screaming wiped that smug smile off Makki’s face and he turned the music down until it was barely more than background noise. Kuroo smiled innocently back and gave him the thumbs-up.

“Thank you,” Kenma said, sounding a little more lively.

“Sure.”

Together, they pushed their way into the living room.  The quieting of the music worked like Pavlov’s bell, and there was a sudden rush of guests toward the kitchen. Kuroo, Hinata, and a fairly relaxed Kenma wove through the stream of people towards the vacated sofa. As Hinata and Kenma made themselves cuddly comfortable, someone tapped Kuroo on the shoulder.

“I thought you got sucked into a vortex to another dimension, love,” Tooru crooned in his ear with a soft kiss. He was forgotten almost immediately, however, once Tooru saw who was with him.

“My favorite person!” Tooru cheered, sliding in beside Kenma.

“Hello Tooru,” Kenma said without looking up. They shifted slightly, flipping their tucked legs so they could lean against Tooru instead of Hinata.

“Thanks for coming,” Tooru said, looking positively delighted. “And I take it you’re their partner, Chibi-chan?”

Hinata blinked at Tooru.

“I—yeah, I’m Hinata,” they said with hesitantly knit brows. “Chibi-chan?”

Tooru winked but gave no further explanation. They leaned over Kenma’s shoulder to get a good look at what they were playing—the new _Persona_.

“That’s a cute nickname! Can I use it, To-kun?” Bokuto barked, appearing suddenly out of nowhere flanked by Keiji, Suga, and Daichi. Seemed like they’d be sticking together for the evening.

“Bokuto-san!” Hinata cheered. They jostled a grunting Kenma as they leapt to give Bokuto a huge hug: one that Bokuto returned by lifting Hinata in the air and squeezing until they squeaked. They were ruffled up when Bokuto set them back down, but still smiling wide. “And Akaashi-san! And...um. People I don’t know! Hi!”

“Hello Shouyou,” Keiji greeted with the imperceptible smile they wore when they were particularly fond of someone.

“Chibi-chan, these are my friends, Suga and Daichan,” Tooru said, gesturing toward Suga and Daichi.

“Am I ever going to get rid of that dumb nickname?” Daichi grumbled.

Tooru and Suga both laughed but left Daichi answerless.

The eight of them seized the open living room for themselves, while the others replaced them in the kitchen. Bokuto and Hinata sat together on one of the armchairs, babbling excitedly about some television series they were both watching. Keiji stood around the stereo making small talk with Suga and Daichi while Kuroo listened in and occasionally added in his two cents. Tooru was wrapped up in watching Kenma play _Persona_ , but had a hand rubbing gently at Kuroo’s thigh.

They all just kind of hung out for a little while. Some of Mattsun and Makki’s friends wandered back into the living room after they satiated their hunger to take up the floorspace and remaining furniture. Most of the cocktails were gone by then, leaving everyone buzzed but not shitfaced.

All in all a nice, quiet little—

“You fucking bastard! Fuck you!”

Out of nowhere, Hanamaki’s voice boomed through the apartment with the force of a bomb. Everyone immediately went quiet. Even Kenma paused their game and looked up.

Mattsun and Makki stood facing each other in the hallway between the kitchen and the living room, looking like they were about to jump at each other’s throats. Kuroo glanced back at Tooru to see if they knew what this was about. Their expression was completely unreadable.

“Great! Now that we have everyone’s attention, we have a special surprise for the evening!” Mattsun announced, wearing a matching impish grin with Makki. “Makki would you mind setting things up?”

Makki nodded and hurtled himself towards the television with a laptop in hand, while Mattsun addressed the crowd with the importance of a speechmaker. “While my beautiful partner sets everything up, who would like to hear a joke?”

Scattered murmurs of both agreement and confusion rippled through the apartment.

“Awesome! I’m going to tell one even if you didn’t want to anyway!” The murmurs turned to laughter at that, but there was still unease on most people’s faces, including Kuroo’s.

He looked back at Tooru, but they looked almost unaffected. Kuroo gave them a questioning look, but they just shrugged in a “this might as well happen” kind of way before batting Kuroo’s face back toward Mattsun.

“Alright. Is everyone ready? You sure? Okay. The orange on top of the aluminum can.”

A collective groan from nearly everyone in the crowd. Kuroo, it seemed, was one of the only ones snickering at the joke.

“So played out,” Tooru said with a distasteful tongue click.

“Awwww, come on, that's classic humor right there!” Tetsurou defended as Mattsun rattled off a few more puns to shall for Makki.

“You cannot be serious,” Tooru scoffed.

Kuroo shrugged, refusing to be reprimanded in the face of classic comedy. “You always say I'm a grandpa.”

Before Tooru could make another scathing critique of Kuroo's well-aged sense of humor, Mattsun was wrangling everyone's attention again. He had Iwaizumi by the arm and was attempting to pullhimup to the front of the room with him. Iwaizumi did not look amused in the slightest.

“What are you two id—”

“Ha! There we go!” Makki cheered as the television came to life.

On the screen, in high definition, was a picture of the Threesome bundled up from head to toe in ski gear, holding snowboards on the side of a snow-covered mountain. All three of them were laughing and holding each other, and Mattsun’s frosted tips bore the evidence of a snowy mishap.

After a minute, while Makki wove his way back to Iwa and Mattsun, the photo faded into another picture of the Threesome, this time in Snapchat form. Mattsun was in the forefront of the photo, tucked in the corner to showcase his boyfriends draped over the tables of the university library. Books and papers decorated the scene like party favors, though the people in the image looked close to death. It was captioned _#finalsweekcanfuckitself._

The photo faded again. A slideshow?

“What’s happening?” Kuroo muttered to Tooru as another photo illuminated the television, this time featuring the Threesome in their high school volleyball uniforms, grinning with their arms wrapped around each other’s necks.

“Not sure,” Tooru said. “I think we should probably keep watching, though.”

Kuroo looked behind him at his partner. There was something sneaky in their voice that Kuroo didn’t trust at all. Whatever was happening, he wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Tooru had something to do with it. Unfortunately, Tooru’s face was completely vacant. Not a single line to hint at what might be happening.

Kuroo wasn’t the only one who seemed confused either. The dull disquiet of the crowd, murmuring and glancing uneasily at one another, told Kuroo he wasn’t the only person in the dark about all this.

“Hey Makki!” one of the Threesome’s friends broke through. “What the hell is going on?”

“You’ll see!” Makki said cryptically as he and Mattsun moved to frame Iwaizumi on either side.

“Come on, you have to at least give us a hint!” the same person grumbled loudly, accompanied by a quiet rumble of agreement from the other guests.

“You’ll. See. Konoha,” Makki replied through gritted teeth. That seemed to shut him up, though he still looked disconcerted.

“I agree with Akinori, what are you two up to right now?” Iwaizumi cut in, struggling to free himself of their grips.

“If everyone would hold on for maybe five minutes, I think your questions will be more than answered,” Mattsun said with an air of finality.

Some of the guests continued to voice their unease in hushed whispers to their neighbors as Mattsun and Makki attempted to placate an unamused Iwaizumi. Kuroo was right there with him, but something about their tones kept him quiet.

“Alright, alright,” Mattsun howled over the low humm of confused murmuring. “Bear with us, bear with us.”

“It’s at this point that I wanted to release a live bear into the room, I’d just like everyone to know,” Makki interjected.

“And I had to be the bear-er of bad news.”

“I had to bear the burden of physical comedy all by myself.”

“Bears.”

More laughter, less confusion. Mattsun and Makki beamed at each other beside a somewhat-humored-but-mostly-exasperated Iwaizumi.

“So as you can see, we’re currently running a slideshow on our living room television,” Makki continued with grandiosity. “That slideshow contains every image Mattsun, myself, and our lovely friend Tooru could find of us and our dear Iwa-chan on our social media.”

“Round of applause for Tooru for their hours and hours of tedious scrolling! Hopefully you don’t contract carpal tunnel!”

Everyone clapped politely for Tooru. Who, of course, milked those five seconds of fame for all it was worth with a haughty bow.

“So thank you Tooru for your minimal effort.” Tooru stuck their tongue out at Makki.

“Can I sit down now?” Iwaizumi asked. He looked ready to flee the apartment if his boyfriends loosened their grip even a smidge.

“Nope!” Mattsun said cheerfully. “See, this is kind of a big deal, and we need you to be a part of it.”

“A slideshow of embarrassing photos is a big deal?” Iwaizumi frowned even deeper.

“It’s the commentary that accompanies the slideshow that’s a big deal, you curmudgeon of a man,” Makki replied. He and Mattsun wound their arms around Iwaizumi, essentially trapping him between them. Kuroo wasn’t sure whether he looked more baffled or annoyed.

“Can we get serious here, for a moment? Is that alright with everyone?” Mattsun asked. A few people nodded and grunted. “Cool. We’re gonna do it anyway.”

Laughter. Mattsun and Makki exchanged a knowing, mischievous look with each other, and then with Tooru of all people.

Something inside Kuroo squirmed. He squinted at his partner, but they just shook their head and pushed Kuroo’s face back toward the Threesome and their oddly weighty speech.

“I know some people might be wondering why we decided to host a New Year’s party more than two weeks after New Year’s,” Mattsun said. “Welllll...This isn’t actually a New Year’s party.”

He looked at Makki again, then they both looked at Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi, who looked positively befuddled at this point, brows knitted together to the point of genuine concern. His boyfriends wrapped their arms even tighter around him, and in unison they kissed gently at his cheek.

Iwaizumi flared red.

“Mattsun, if it’s not a New Year’s party, what is it?” Makki asked, feigning ignorance.

Mattsun smiled. It wasn’t the smile that Kuroo had been expecting, either, but rather something much softer, more lovely.

“It’s an engagement party,” he finally answered.

Absolute silence. So silent that when someone in the kitchen shifted from one foot to another, Kuroo could hear it as clearly as if they’d hit the floor with a hammer.

Iwaizumi’s eyes were wide, slack-jawed and open-mouthed and gaping at his partners. The flush had faded from his cheeks, leaving him pale as a sheet. His eyes darted back and forth from one partner to another, but he didn’t say a word.

Mattsun and Makki shifted. They looked almost nervous.

“I mean, we _hope_ it’s an engagement party at least,” Mattsun chuckled anxiously.

“We’ve been together for a couple of years now, and Mattsun and I are pretty fond of you at this point,” Makki joked, though he undercut his own self by resting his chin on Iwaizumi’s shoulder and gazing at him like he held up the stars in the sky. “We would really love to marry you, if you’ll have us.”

“See, we put up this slideshow because these are our favorite memories,” Mattsun continued. “All of them, the good and the bad.”

“Even the one where I got hit in the face with a volleyball and had to get five stitches,” Makki chortled, rubbing the scar above his eye. “They’re our favorite because they’re with you.”

Mattsun and Makki paused, looking expectantly at Iwaizumi. He didn’t respond. He didn’t even move.

Kuroo felt panic start to rise in his own chest. What if Iwaizumi didn’t want to get married? He seemed like the kind of guy who shunned romantic traditions like that. What if he was thinking of a way to let them down gently? After they went through all of this, the party and the photos and the speech, all for him? What if he was thinking of all the ways to say no without humiliating all three of them?

This was why public proposals were a bad idea. This was why...

“We know we can’t make it legally official,” Mattsun continued, his voice edged with the same panic Kuroo felt writhing in his chest as he death-gripped Tooru’s calf. “But y—”

“Yes.”

Iwaizumi didn’t let Mattsun finish his sentence. He clapped his hands over both of his boyfriends’ mouths with a look Kuroo never thought he’d see: quivering lip, watery eyes, voice thick with emotion. The mask was broken, and now it was clear what Kuroo had been sensing behind his stoic expression. It wasn’t panic at all.

It was love. Affection. Happiness. An overwhelming, paralyzing amount of it.

Now, his surprise, his joy, his conviction, were glowing on his lips, his cheeks, his eyes. He was blushing like mad, but Kuroo couldn’t remember seeing him so genuinely happy in the short while he’d known him.

He didn’t look _exhausted_ anymore.

“You two can finish whatever sappy nonsense you were going to dribble in a minute but I—” Iwaizumi swallowed. His voice cracked on the last syllable and he had to take a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. “I fucking love both of you so much. I can’t imagine life without either of you—even in ten, twenty, _shit_ even in fifty goddamn years. Of course I’ll marry you.”

Iwaizumi uncovered both of their mouths to reveal the broadest, most gleefully giddy grins on earth. Then, while the three of them kissed each other silly and wiped the unshed tears from their eyes, the fabric of silence that blanketed the apartment tore down the middle and everyone came back to life at once.

Most everybody ran up to the laughing, crying-but-not-crying now-fiancees. Tooru and Kuroo’s entourage held back to allow the Threesome’s friends to mob them first.

Kuroo felt a little teary-eyed himself as he watched them. Even though Mattsun and Makki liked to taunt and tease, and even though Iwaizumi could be hardened and grumpy, it was immediately obvious to anyone how in love they were. The ways that Mattsun and Makki were always cheering Iwaizumi on for his exams, how they’d always make sure to have dinner at night for him and coffee in the morning, how they constantly troubleshooted ways to dull the strain of Iwaizumi’s studies on both him and their relationship.

And Iwaizumi, who challenged them when they pushed too far, who was trying to learn more about social media to expand their methods of communication, who despite his own stress helped them study until they all fell asleep on their textbooks.

They were best friends who had, by the twists of fate and urges of the heart, became lovers. Who wouldn’t be a little choked up by that?

“You look a little misty there, Tetsu-chan,” Tooru teased gently, the hand on Kuroo’s thigh sliding up to curl around his waist. Kuroo nodded, dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve to rid the excess wetness there. Tooru kissed him tenderly on the cheek. “That’s okay. I was too, when they told me.”

Realization hit Kuroo like a bus as he turned back to a slyly grinning Tooru.

“Oh my god, you helped them plan this!” Kuroo all but shouted, whipping around to face Tooru fully. “That’s why you were helping with the photos. You knew!”

Tooru nodded. Their eyes glowed like sunlight passing through autumn leaves. “They came to me about a week ago and asked for my help.”

“Well fuck baby. I had no idea,” Kuroo laughed. “Is that why you were so stressed out this morning?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know it wasn’t necessary for me to freak out on Iwa-chan like that, but I… it was really important for everything to be perfect,” Tooru explained a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of their neck.

Kuroo grinned and kissed Tooru with a shake of his head. “You always want everything to be perfect, Noodle-kawa,” Kuroo hummed against their lips.

“You do tend to be a perfectionist,” Kenma interjected. They’d set their game down for Makki and Mattsun’s announcement and were now leaning against Tooru’s side.

“Is there something that’s the opposite of a perfectionist? Because that would be you, Kenma,” Hinata chimed in, now sitting cross-legged in front of Kenma on the floor. Kenma shot them a glare.

“Lazy,” Kuroo snorted with a little pap that earned him an even more venomous glare.

“Yeah, you are kind of lazy,” Hinata agreed with a chuckle. “But that’s okay. You’re real good at snuggling.”

Kenma just frowned sourly while Hinata tried to reassure them that being lazy was a _good_ thing.

It seemed like the engagement had put everyone in an unsurprisingly lovey-dovey mood. Suga and Daichi were reminiscing on their own engagement party while Keiji and Bokuto listened, snuggled together on the armchair. Tooru had both arms around Kuroo’s middle, and the two of them were half-listening to Suga and Daichi, half-watching the Threesome as the party picked back up again.

Nearly everyone swarmed the hallway, congratulating the new fiancees, some crying, some giving them reassuring pats on the back. Everyone was smiling. The teary beams of Mattsun and Makki and Iwaizumi were contagious to anyone who so much as looked in their direction. Even Kuroo felt his throat swell.

Things started to die down a little after that. Some of the guests took their leave, some lingered to finish off the food and drink, and some gathered around the TV to watch the slideshow in the living room.

It was when the crowd had cleared somewhat from the Threesome that Tooru and Kuroo decided to congratulate them.

“I’m so happy for you,” Tooru trilled, pulling their three friends into a bone-breaking hug. “And you!” they exclaimed, moving to crush Iwaizumi in their arms. “I’m so glad you said yes! Not that I thought you wouldn’t, but when you just stood there for so long...god Iwa-chan, I think you gave everyone a heart-attack!”

Iwaizumi muttered something under his breath and shoved Tooru off of him, though he was still grinning, and his eyes were still wet. His good mood was unshakeable.

“Congratulations,” Kuroo said softly, opting for some simple shoulder-squeezes instead of Tooru’s suffocating hugs. “I’m really happy for you guys.”

They shared a few more heartfelt words before leaving the three to have some time to celebrate amongst themselves. Kuroo and Tooru promised to catch up more when things were less hectic, before returning to the sofa with two bottles of wine. Tooru stretched their legs out across the length of the sofa and Kuroo settled comfortably between them, nestled into their lap. They passed the bottle around and settled back in to listen to Kenma of all people entertain the group with one of their theories.

“So are people always attracted to the same person in every life?” Suga asked, looking genuinely interested.

“Not always. I believe this is the first time Shouyou and I have been involved,” Kenma explained, now tucked snugly against an absolutely thrilled-looking Bokuto in the armchair, while Keiji played with Hinata’s hair on the floor. “There are some relationships that do transcend lifetimes, even if the nature of those relationships change.”

“Like you and Kuroo!” Hinata piped up.

“Or Koutarou and I,” Keiji smiled fondly. “Kenma says we’ve meet several hundred times but somehow always missed each other.”

“That’s so interesting,” Suga said, leaning in a little closer with bright, wide eyes. “Is it like a soulmate thing?”

“No,” Kenma said, wrinkling their nose.

“Kenma hates that term,” Kuroo said. “Takes the agency out of it, you know?”

“It’s just that certain energies attract one another, and some of those bonds are carried across lives,” Kenma explained.

“Wow,” Suga said. He glanced at Daichi, who looked politely interested (albeit a bit skeptical). “I wonder if we’ve known each other before?”

Kenma just shrugged. It seemed like they were done interacting for now, as they picked up the Wii controller and started a soloing _Mario Kart_ without another word. They leaned against Bokuto, who looked ready to combust with happiness.

Kuroo was sure if Kenma sensed anything, he’d be hearing about it later.

Kuroo wasn’t necessarily a steadfast believer in the sort of reincarnation stuff Kenma liked to talk about. It was undeniable to anyone who met them, though, that there was something otherworldly about Kenma. Something unnatural.

Tooru ate that shit up, bless them.

“So Bokkun, tell me more about you and your _lovely_ partner,” Tooru said with a flirtatious wink at Keiji. “How did the two of you meet?”

Keiji went quite pink. Kuroo gave them a quizzical look but their eyes were flicking between Bokuto and Tooru, who were now engaged in an animated conversation.

“Oh gosh, that’s actually a really funny story! Well, maybe not that funny, but I think it’s kind of funny,” Bokuto chuckled, patting Keiji on the head. They scrunched their nose at him and batted his hand away. “We met on Tinder, actually.”

That caught everyone’s immediate attention. Which, of course, made Bokuto beam with excitement. Kuroo snorted and leaned back against Tooru’s chest to listen. He loved their story. He’d loved being a part of it.

“You met on _Tinder_?” Tooru gawked.

“Yeah, just for a hookup or whatever,” Bokuto nodded enthusiastically. “I’d just gone through a bad breakup so I wasn’t really looking for anything serious.”

“And I had shunned monogamy as a heteropatriarchal conspiracy,” Keiji said seriously. Suga and Tooru both barked out a laugh.

“So while Keiji was being super smart I honestly just wanted to get laid so bad,” Bokuto continued. “And when I saw Keiji…” Bokuto paused to look down at his partner with a fond smile. “I remember thinking they were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen in my life.”

“Awwww that’s gross,” Tooru smiled. They whacked Kuroo on the arm with a grin. “What did you think of me the first time you saw me, Tetsu-chan?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I thought ‘if I don’t sleep with this person immediately I think my dick will fall off’,” Kuroo grinned right back.

“Tetsu-chan!” Tooru wailed with another, much harder smack.

“He’s absolutely lying to you, Tooru,” Keiji interjected, staring Kuroo down. “He was so smitten with you he texted Bokuto in a panic.”

Kuroo stuck his tongue out at Keiji, but then Bokuto went and added in his two cents as well. “It’s true! He was so nervous you weren’t gonna like him. He’s been totally head-over-heels for you for, like, basically the entire time you two have known each other.”

“He was so nervous he asked me to come over and help him get dressed. So if you liked that outfit he wore the first time you two met up, you have me to thank,” Keiji said smugly.

“Oh my _goodness_ , Tetsu-chan, you had to get help getting dressed?” Tooru laughed. Kuroo scowled at Keiji, but their lips were curled into a grin that rivaled even Tooru’s. Had it been a mistake to introduce those two?

“You have no right whatsoever to talk!” Suga interrupted, then leaning over to Keiji. “Akaashi, has Kuroo showed you the first picture Tooru sent Kuroo? Well they were so freaked out that he wasn’t going to like them—because they were practically _drooling_ at how hot he was—that I literally had to get my ass over to help them take a selfie. Thank god I was in town because there’s no way in hell I would have taken a three-hour bus to help your anxious ass.”

It was Kuroo’s turn to laugh this time, as Tooru threw a pillow at Suga with a montage of obscenities. Somehow, this entire clusterfuck of call-outs made Kuroo feel a little better about everything. He’d been such a mess trying to impress them, it was a little comforting knowing they’d been that way with him too.

They all continued to share stories—mostly calling Kuroo and Tooru the hell out for how ridiculous they’d been with each other pre-relationship behind the scenes. Those two bottles of wine turned into three, and then the massive bottle of champagne the Threesome had been saving for later on in the evening was cracked open, and secrets and sap flowed out of everyone like spring runoff.

They told stories about how they’d all met, about Suga and Daichi’s engagement in Daichi’s favorite park last summer, about how Bokuto and Keiji realized that being fuck-buddies wasn’t nearly as good as being in a relationship with each other, about Kenma and Shouyou’s quiet build from best friends to partners, about the absolute disaster that was Kuroo and Tooru’s beginning. Suga and Keiji seemed positively determined to embarrass the living hell out of Kuroo and Tooru. By the end of the night, Suga replaced Hinata in front of Keiji, and the two were lamenting on the strain Kuroo and Tooru’s flirtationship had put on them respectively.

The Threesome hobbled drunkenly off to bed around midnight, inviting the few stragglers to stay if they were too inebriated (or tired, in Kenma and Hinata’s case) to go home. Keiji—after exchanging numbers with both Suga and Tooru in the most terrifying of growing friendships—left with Bokuto since they lived only a short while away.

Everyone else decided to stay the night. Kenma passed out on the loveseat with Hinata on the floor beside them, while Suga and Daichi snuggled together on the pull-out armchair, and Tooru and Kuroo slept feet-to-face on the sofa.

He was buzzing with liquor and delight, and although he could already feel a hangover that would lay him out tomorrow morning, he couldn’t have imagined a more perfect evening. Even with Tooru’s smelly socks pressed into his chest, he felt like he was floating on the energy from all the new relationships the night had forged together.

Yawning pleasantly, Kuroo clicked his phone on to set an alarm for the next morning.

_1 new message_

_[01:02] **BigHoot** : Home safe dude :D :D Sorry we had to ditch!_

[01:03] **CatDad** : Np dude thanks for coming :)

_[01:03] **BigHoot** : Course! It was so much fun!!!_

_[01:05] **BigHoot** : Your partner is awesome, fyi. Keiji might be crushing_

_[01:06] **BigHoot** : I wasn’t supposed to tell you that apparently XP_

[01:07] **CatDad** : Oh my fucking god XD

[01:08] **CatDad** : I’m glad you liked them :)

_[01:08] **BigHoot** : You two have like, the same sense of humor. And they’re snarky as fuck_

_[01:09] **BigHoot** : Idk I can see why you like them so much though!!!_

[01:10] **CatDad** : Thanks Kou

[01:11] **CatDad** : I’m falling asleep though text you later?

_[01:12] **BigHoot** : For sure for sure!!! Night Tetsurou Zzzzzz :P_

[01:12] **CatDad** : Night Kou Zzzzzz :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [floral-fae](http://floral-fae.tumblr.com) for editing  
> Check out my [tumblr](http://skiesinlove.tumblr.com) for more quality garbage :D


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